Support for a Tactician
by Terron145
Summary: A collection of one-shots comprised of various events and conversations involving an OC Tactician and the cast of FE: Fates. Open for requests; further information is at the top of the first chapter.
1. Elise

_Story Notes : To further elaborate on the summary, this series will be a collection of what essentially amount to Support Routes between my OC and various characters from Fates. Though there are more than a few characters I already have in mind that I wish to write about, I think taking requests for characters I didn't consider would be a good means of improving myself as a writer. Stepping out of my comfort zone should allow for further development, even if there will be flops along the way. One stipulation I must put forth is that I can only write Support Routes from the perspective of Conquest and Revelation, so keep in mind that I will attempt to write any members of the Hoshidan cast in-character within the context of how they act in Revelation. Requests can be submitted through either reviews or PMs, whichever you find most convenient, and can be as specific as you deem necessary. I can't promise that I'll go for any romance, considering that I already have an OTP for this game. Ship-teasing is still fair game, though._

* * *

 **Their Difference in Strength (Elise)**

A bright afternoon shines upon the Ebon Roost on this day. At the center of the mage training grounds stand two figures, one short, the other tall. In front of them is an ice sculpture of a swan, which sparkles beautifully in the shimmering light of the sun looming overhead. Cyrus, the taller figure between the two, studies this sculpture, as if to evaluate it. Next to him is Princess Elise, who stands with a poorly veiled look of nervousness upon her countenance. A single bead of sweat trails down the side of her head as Cyrus nods once and looks to face her.

His stern expression gives way to a soft smile as he pats her on the shoulder. "You have done well, Milady; this sculpture has surpassed my expectations." Looking to the sculpture again, he takes a mental note of how it has yet to begin melting, despite this day being quite warm. "Your talent for the arcane arts is all the more apparent with the completion of this work, Milady. There are seldom few I've met in Erdboden that boast this sort of affinity for magic, and seldom more who can heal on top of that."

Elise giggles at this praise, unable to contain neither the quickly forming smile on her face, nor the blush on her cheeks. "That means a lot coming from you, Cyrus. You're super good with magic, you know? Even Leo thinks so, and he's the best wizard ever!"

"Such praise came from Lord Leo?" He dons a sheepish smile at this, and elects to look away while scratching at his cheek. "That's certainly unexpected." He directs his attention back to Elise, a smirk on his face. Elise's face turns serious in response to this, as if expecting some sort of surprise exam. "Speaking of unexpected, I have something I'd like to discuss with you, Princess Elise."

A smirk traces on Elise's face at this moment, causing Cyrus to raise an eyebrow as he looks to her expectantly. ' _I studied the whole textbook; he can't surprise me now!_ ' She lets out a huff, one that befits a woman of noble bearing. "Bring it on!"

"The other night, I saw you practicing in a different training area."

Just as quickly as it formed, Elise's confident aura shatters like fragile glass. ' _Oh no! He saw me?! I thought everyone was asleep!_ '

While she panics, Cyrus continues, "You were quite remarkable; not many people can use throwing daggers to perfectly trace a heart around a bull's-eye. You even went a step further and pierced the bull's-eye itself dead center with one last dagger."

"Uh, um, yeah! About that…"

"I had no idea you were so dexterous." Elise's expression discards its nervousness to give way to confusion. "If you were to train under Felicia, you'd soon be a dangerous combatant with the Flame Shuriken we won from Saizo."

The princess' confusion is only compounded, so much so that she is compelled to ask, "Wait, so you're not mad?"

Now Cyrus is the one sporting a look of confusion. He looks to his sides, as if silently asking invisible companions why Elise would inquire such a thing. "I'm not upset with you, no; do I have reason to be?"

There is a certain disappointment and sincerity in Elise's response. Though her head is cast towards the ground, Cyrus knows full well the expression the princess currently wears. "Well, I was shirking my magic training to do something completely unrelated. I thought all teachers would get mad if they caught their students goofing off like that…" Cyrus chuckles at this, which causes Elise to look up at him with a frown on her face. "What's so funny?!" She then puffs out her right cheek, compounding her frown all the more. This only causes Cyrus to snicker.

"I think it's admirable that you wish to expand your repertoire, Lady Elise. It would be hypocritical of me to reprimand you, considering I do the same thing, but in a way that most point out is unhealthy." His words bring a smile to her face, though she still feels a tinge of guilt at having hid this information from him. ' _I know that face all too well. It's the same one I often saw in the mirror when I was a lad, searching for my place in the family._ ' Seeing that Elise's expression of guilt has yet to fade, he presents a question. "Which would you rather focus on, Milady?"

"Huh?"

"Between fighting with the skill set of a Strategist or a Maid, which would you prefer?"

"Y- You're giving me a choice here?"

"Yes…I find it weird that you find this so odd."

"I don't see how!" Cyrus tilts his head at this, giving a silent indication of his lack of understanding. "You always look so sad, but when you're teaching me how to use magic, your smiles seem so genuine. If I switch over to fighting like a Maid, I'd be taking that from you…I couldn't do that."

A pained expression suddenly seizes command of Cyrus countenance; he heaves a sigh, closing his eyes to reflect on Elise's words. ' _Gods be damned; why do I always end up with the observant ones?_ ' He looks to Elise, taking care to choose his next words wisely. "If you are going to bring my happiness into question, then it is only fair that I do the same for you. Which do you enjoy more?" Taking a single look into Elise's eyes reveals her answer before she can speak it. Her gaze betrays a sense of obligation, rather than what should be commitment to a proper desire. Cyrus holds his hand up to signal for Elise to wait. "I want you to be honest with me, Milady; the lie you are about to tell is one I've told many times before, and the look in my eyes was far more convincing than what lies in yours right now."

She hesitates, having been caught off guard at being seen through so easily. "I- I want to train as a Maid. Flipping around the way Felicia does would be so cool…and the maid uniform is just so cute! Oh! And the poses! Have you seen the way Felicia looks after a battle?! She's all dignified and stuff, like she's in control and not scared at all; I wanna look that cool." Elise can see that Cyrus is preparing to give a response, but chooses to halt him by continuing her own train of thought. "But I still want you to teach me how to use magic…I could stick with the Strategist thing first and then switch to Maid later." She smiles, her face beaming as warmly as the sun above. "I have all the time in the world, right?"

Cyrus nods to her, smiling softly as he says, "I suppose so; it wouldn't do to rush something like this." He chuckles, though he is unsure as to why. "Perhaps I was being a bit selfish." That soft smile has now been replaced with one that is melancholic. "I was having fun as you lived the life I never got to experience."

"What do you mean by that?" The notion then dons on her, prompting her to lightly tap her fist to the side of her head. "Oh, duh, of course; I'm royalty. That's what you meant, right?" He shakes his head. "Huh?"

"While it's true that I didn't grow up as a blue blood, I'm referring to something that is far more important to me. You have a talent for all forms of magic, Lady Elise; you can make use of offensive tomes as well as support staves. When a battle is over, you can still contribute by treating the wounded. Compared to me, you might as well be a superhero."

Elise's thoughts turn to Arthur as Cyrus says his piece. She cannot help but smile at the thought of dressing up and playing the part of her valiant retainer's sidekick. She giggles at the thought before responding, "You really think so? I've never seen you use healing magic before, but I bet you'd be great if you tried!" Her words bring back Cyrus' pained expression, catching her off guard. He turns his head to look away from her, ashamed that he couldn't hide his momentary weakness. "Cyrus? What's the matter?"

"It's a bit complicated, Milady." The two stand there in silence for a moment, unsure of how to break the awkward tension that has suddenly appeared between them. Before long, Elise folds her arms and lets out a huff. Cyrus takes this as his cue to explain, lest he be reprimanded by the woman he unwittingly upset. "Healing magic, no, that would not be accurate. Anything tied to the element of light, which encompasses healing magic and all forms of support therein, is impossible for me to harness."

"Impossible? I thought that word was foreign to you? You're always telling me that I can do anything I set my mind to, so how can you just give up like that?"

"This is something I'm unable to fight against, Lady Elise. It's not so simple a matter of just not being good at a task; I was born with a birth defect that prevents my body from channeling the aether necessary to use such spells."

"Have you ever tried? Recently, I mean."

"I endeavor in the training often, actually. Every time I travel to a realm that isn't my own, I make an effort to test for healing magic within the context of that world. The result is always the same; attempting to cast even the most basic healing spell will result in me causing an explosion that serves to heal nothing." A look of shame plagues his face as he continues, "I've caused a lot of property damage because of my efforts. I still don't feel as if I've apologized to Lord Corrin enough for blasting a hole in the wall of the Records Hall."

Elise dons a look of surprise as she asks, "That was you?!" Cyrus' solemn nod leaves her speechless. "I had no idea." She assumes a contemplative stance, her expression quite serious as she asks, "Is there really nothing you can do to change?"

"As of now? No, nothing at all. It's just the way the dice rolled for me, Milady; I can't be entirely upset about it, considering my circumstances. I have powerful offensive magic, and was granted ever growing knowledge of the battlefield. I can't help people by healing them as the rest of my family could, but I have options. Others are born less fortunate than I am, so I should at least make an effort for them, rather than curse my birth. Things…" he hesitates, donning a momentary frown as he follows, "could have been worse."

"Worse? How so? Not being able to help people sounds like torture to me."

"I could be dead right now." Elise barely has a moment to make a shocked face before Cyrus continues, "Were it not for divine intervention, I would have died shortly before my seventh birthday. That defect I mentioned before; the imbalance it caused made my power a chaotic mess that was slowly killing me from the moment I came to be. I was bed-ridden for much of my time as a lad, having only a total of six hours to move around and function like a normal person."

"Six hours?! That's not enough time to do anything! You gotta use the bathroom, take long hot showers, eat, bug your brother to play with you…gods…it sounds so unfulfilling."

"That time, if you can believe it, could be shortened down to just three hours if I cast a spell for whatever reason. The level of the spell didn't matter either, which played in my favor a few times."

"I think you said once before that your family was full of healers, right?" He nods, causing her worried expression to devolve into one of emphatic pain. "I can't imagine how that must have been for them." She clutches at her chest, feeling a stinging pain that she can scarcely describe. "Just trying to put myself in their shoes makes my heart ache. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't do anything to heal my family after all the training I've done." Her pout returns; "That's so unfair; you deserve better."

Cyrus can't help but allow his warm smile to return upon hearing that. "It's kind of you to think as much." He turns his attention back to the ice swan Elise created; the sculpture is still as radiant and intact as it was when Elise first crafted it. In spite of the sun having been beaming its rays relentlessly this entire time, the sculpture is no closer to melting. There is a certain wistful tone to Cyrus' voice as he says, "Though I wish things could be different, I can live as I am." Turning back to Elise, he continues, "Watching you grow as a sorceress has reminded me that offensive magic, while destructive, can also lend to things that are beautiful. There…need not be any mutual exclusivity."

"You sound so sure, but are you really OK with that?" His response is a chuckle, causing Elise to pout and puff out a cheek once more. "It's not funny!"

"Your compassion is your greatest strength, Lady Elise; never lose it."

"Yeah, sure, but what does that have to do with anything?" He gives her no answer, instead choosing to return to silently gazing upon the ice swan. Elise, in an effort to grasp the relevance this sculpture seems to hold for Cyrus, alternates her attention between him and her creation. She eventually shrugs her shoulder, admitting to herself that, ' _I don't get it, but if this makes him smile, then that's all that matters._ '


	2. Leo

**A Tactful Approach (Leo)**

With this relatively slow day beginning its descent into the late afternoon hours, Cyrus finds his moment of sleep-inducing boredom interrupted by a knock sounding at his door. Opening the door reveals Leo to be the visitor. The prince of Nohr stands with his usual dignified air of superiority, and wears his equally common serious yet blank expression as he looks to Cyrus. In his possession, specifically tucked beneath his right arm, is a black rectangular box containing what Cyrus assumes to be another tabletop strategy game.

Cyrus steps to the side, performing a half-bow as he grants Leo admittance into his domain. While Cyrus closes the door, Leo wastes no time making himself at home. He removes his coat and glorious cape before setting the box on a vacant table. Cyrus can't help but chuckle at this, having grown used to Leo's no-nonsense and down-to-business attitude towards all of his endeavors. "Might I interest you in tea before we begin, my Lord? I have been working on a new blend that will make our upcoming battle a bit more interesting."

Leo, though initially prepared to shoot Cyrus' offer down, finds himself intrigued by the proposition. "Very well, I shall take you up on this offer." The tea takes very little time to prepare, leaving Leo to think, ' _Perhaps he knew I wouldn't refuse, and had that brew half-prepared in advance._ ' Cyrus serves Leo his cup before pouring his own; stepping away from the prince, Cyrus bows and walks over to his own seat to pour himself a cup in turn. "Cyrus, you are quite skilled in these various services; you could be a skilled butler in a different life."

"You flatter me, Lord Leo, but I already serve as the butler of a noblewoman back in Erdboden."

"Ah, so that is why you are so skilled; you have prior experience." He takes a sip of the tea before him, taking a long moment to savor the aroma and flavor. Unable to pin down the blend, he asks, "What's the secret to this?"

"'Tis a special blend, my Lord, one that combines green tea and ginseng to create a drink that stimulates the mind. Drinking it shall improve your mental clarity, heightening your focus and improving your ability to make decisions."

This explanation brings Leo to light laughter. He dons a smirk that he shoots in Cyrus' direction as he says, "You never cease to amuse me; brother chose wisely in taking you on as his tactician." Setting his cup down, the notion of Cyrus' intent completely dawns upon him. "So your aim is to see who can capitalize on this enhanced state of mind the most efficiently?" The smirk that forms on Cyrus' face brings another to his own. "How very amusing; I accept your challenge, of course, but know that I shall be the victor on this day."

"We shall see about that, my Lord."

The rest of the pot of tea is consumed by the two in silence. Rising from the table, Cyrus motions to return the kettle and cups to the kitchen of his quarters while Leo returns to setting up the game they intend to play. When he returns to the table, a large map is neatly laid out onto it, with enough space present for various other components of the game to fit onto the area as well. The map in question appears to depict a mountainous region in the dead of night. There is a deep abyss surrounding the area, with a shoddy-looking bridge being the quickest means to navigate over it.

This bridge connects the more cramped eastern side of the map, which houses a few fortresses, to the broad and open western side, which harbors no beneficial terrain effects. Leo takes a large sheet of plastic and fixes it directly atop the map, aligning the edges perfectly. He then takes out two markers; a red one for himself and a blue for Cyrus. Another glance at the map reveals that it is divided up into squares that are a bit large in comparison to the pieces it is meant to contain.

Pulling out a few decks of cards, Leo begins to shuffle what appears to be a deck comprised of units meant to be deployed into battle. Once his shuffling is complete, he deals the cards in an alternating fashion until both he and Cyrus each have twelve units to deploy into battle. Before retrieving the game pieces tied to these cards, the duo shuffles the remaining decks to deal them as well.

The next dealing gives each player an objective. Cyrus' goal in this map is to defeat Leo's commanding piece. In turn, Leo's objective is to have his commanding piece escape by using any one of the three tiles on the western edge of the map. Observing the map, as well as his starting position, Leo comments, "Hm, it will be difficult to break through such a besieging effort, especially with so few avenues to approach from."

Having used magic to shuffle the deck of cards he was entrusted to, Cyrus sets the cards down on the table in between him and Leo and offers to take the first draw. In doing so, he turns his card around to reveal that this deck's purpose is to delegate Dragon Vein uses to each player. The card he has drawn denotes that he may use two designated Dragon Veins to set fire to five tiles of his choosing. The effects of the fire vary, depending on what terrain effect is in place. ' _It would appear that enemy units standing on ordinary tiles take ten fixed points of damage; those in forts only receive five; those on bridges receive no damage, but the bridge is destroyed. Interesting._ '

Leo takes the second draw, revealing that he has access to two Dragon Veins that allow him to call down a bolt of lightning to reduce the HP of any active enemy unit within an area of effect of his choosing to a single point of hit points. Looking at his card, he can see that, ' _How unfortunate, I only managed to draw the 2x2 AoE, rather than the 3x3. No matter; this will be serviceable all the same._ ' He sets this deck aside, content that he and Cyrus will only have one Dragon Vein card to rely on.

The two then take a moment to use their markers to denote both the location of their Dragon Veins, as well as the areas of effect tied to them. Curiously, Cyrus sets up the five effective areas for his first Dragon Vein in a cross formation; this cross formation is placed directly on the natural path that connects the northeastern side of the map to the northern central area. The effective areas of the second consist simply of a straight line spanning the length of the bridge that grants passage over the chasm of infinite darkness. ' _That will surely get Lord Leo thinking; he'll have to take a gamble in one area or another._ '

' _Hm, so he seeks to instill doubt within my judgment? A valiant effort, Cyrus, but let us see how effective it will be._ ' In contrast, the effective areas of his Dragon Veins are plainly denoted, with one having been setup towards the center of the western side of the map, and the other at the center of the eastern side. ' _Two can play at this ruse, my good man. Let the mind games commence._ '

Now the time has come for each player to grab the pieces that correspond to his deployable units. Much to Cyrus' surprise, the pieces, much like the cards, are modeled after the various classes soldiers from Nohr and Hoshido enlist into their armies. For his twelve, Cyrus retrieves pieces for a Paladin, two Heroes, two Snipers, a Strategist, Sorcerer, Great Knight, Berserker, Spear Master, Swordmaster, and Dark Knight. ' _A single healer is all we have; I'll have to work hard to keep every unit alive…_ '

In turn, Leo retrieves his twelve pieces. His army consists of a General, Wyvern Lord, Malig Knight, Adventurer, Butler, Dark Knight, Swordmaster, Hero, Bow Knight, Paladin, Great Knight, and Kinshi Knight. "Hm, not a single repeat; I'm surprised." Holding up the piece representing his General, he follows, "This unit will be the commanding piece you are tasked with defeating."

"Is it alright for us to use Hoshidan units?"

Leo nods, a smirk tracing on his lips. "This is the most recent edition, which added these units to the equation. I'm quite excited to build strategies around them." Cyrus takes hold of the piece representing the Spear Master of his army. Noting the forlorn expression upon his countenance, Leo dons a look of concern as he asks, "What is troubling you?"

Cyrus rotates the piece in his hand, studying the quality and detail the craftsman seems to have poured into the finer details of his work. "Just…thinking of the past, Lord Leo; a time I can't go back to." He sets the piece down onto its starting position on the map, lingering for a brief moment before moving his hand away. A smile traces onto his lips, albeit one that is bittersweet. "Those are memories now, but I'll never forget them." He motions to position the rest of his units at their respective starting locations, soon looking to Lord Leo. "I got an interesting inventory across the board, it would seem."

Leo takes this as his cue to use magic to make temporary copies of the twenty-four cards representing their units. This results in both players having the stats of each unit available for whenever combat must be initiated. Looking to the inventories of each respective unit, Leo nods and acknowledges Cyrus' previous statement. "Killer Weapons and fixed ranges; interesting indeed."

"I've noticed that all of these units have Skills available; how shall we proceed about those?"

"We shall ignore them for this battle. Neither of us is quite familiar with the Skills of the Hoshidans, so we should save that learning experience for a later date." After setting up the starting points of his units, Leo takes his place on the right side of the table. He folds his hands behind his back, casting a lording gaze onto the board before him. Though his expression seems featureless, Cyrus can see the sinister look in his eyes.

With the game set to begin, the two flip a coin to decide who gets the initial phase. The honor goes to Cyrus, who smiles at the revelation. His initial move consists of swift actions that position his units in various locations on the map. Being the closest to the bridge, he sends in his Paladin, alone, to stand at the only exit point. Leo nods to this, thinking to himself, ' _Putting your plan forward so soon? You intend to hold the position, so perhaps that Dragon Vein is for bolstering your units._ '

Cyrus then takes one of his Snipers and, with just enough movement space, positions the unit two tiles away from the Paladin. A glance at this particular Sniper reveals it to hold but a single weapon, a Spy's Yumi, leaving it able to only strike targets that are 3 tiles away. Cyrus' Sorcerer is placed on a tile that implies this unit is en route to provide support for the Sniper, but will need an additional phase to reach that far. The Strategist, in turn, will require an extra phase to reach its intended destination, which appears to be the activation point for the Dragon Vein connected to the bridge.

Three units remain at the western edge of the map, acting as a wall barring access to the escape points Leo's General needs to reach. The guards of these points are the Berserker, Spear Master, and one of the Heroes of Cyrus' army. ' _I can't bank on the crit chance of the Berserker; I've learned that well enough from my days of playing Caverns and Wyverns._ ' He sends his additional Sniper towards the vanguard to guard the Paladin's right flank; the remainder of his army sets out to hold the natural path in an effort to bar any conventional methods of approach. This marks the end of his phase.

Surprised by a single choice, Leo voices his thoughts on the matter. "How curious; I would have thought you'd take that Berserker to the vanguard. You are quite fond of employing such tactics with Charlotte, as I recall."

A smirk forms on Cyrus' face as he replies, "Perhaps I'm leading you into a false sense of security."

"Indeed, but somehow, I highly doubt that is the case." With his phase now at hand, he looks to the board to judge the position of Cyrus' units. ' _His formations imply a form of passive aggression, but this is a ruse to distract me from the Snipers. I'll take three approaches._ ' To this effect, he pairs his General with the Malig Knight, placing the latter as the leading unit of said pair, and sends the duo to station themselves above the chasm. He performs the same maneuver by pairing his Swordmaster with the Wyvern Lord. In turn, the Butler of his army is paired with the Kinshi Knight and joins the other pairs in the sky above the abyss. ' _I'll be able to send them both over there on the next phase, but I'll have to take care of those Snipers before I can get any ideas._ '

For support, he sends three units down the length of the bridge. This trio consists of his Adventurer, Hero, and Bow Knight. The remaining trio, due to having healing items on hand, is sent to traverse the natural path and potentially push through Cyrus' defenses. This marks the end of Leo's phase, granting Cyrus his next move. ' _I can take out those three units if I use a Dragon Vein now, but that would mean revealing my trump card. I should wait for his advancing trio to get in range._ '

Leo dons a grin, having taken note of Cyrus' furrowed brow. "You seem conflicted, Cyrus. Have I already thrown a wrench into your schemes?" Seeing Cyrus have his remaining Hero alter its course to pair up with the Paladin guarding the bridge leads Leo to think, ' _Hm, perhaps I did._ '

"A minor correction needed to be made, but ultimately no harm done." Observing the map, he can see that Leo is in a prime position to mount an offensive on his next phase. ' _My vanguard Sniper is in melee range of the Kinshi Knight, as well as the Butler accompanying it._ ' Before addressing this concern, he motions to pair his Sorcerer with the Dark Knight; with the Dark Knight's superior movement range, he sends the pair towards the effective range of the cross formation Dragon Vein. The Dark Knight is positioned on the left-most tile of this cross formation, and then separates so that the Sorcerer is set on the tile to the left of it. Cyrus nods to this. ' _Now our Dual Strike is set._ ' The Swordmaster, in turn, stands next to the activation point of the second Dragon Vein.

Cyrus' vanguard Sniper is then moved a few tiles away from the cliff's edge, placing it just out of striking distance of both the Kinshi Knight and Butler. Noting that he had the option of moving much farther, Leo raises an eyebrow to the notion, but says nothing. ' _You are a curious one._ ' Cyrus calls for the end of his phase, electing to hold the position of his remaining units. Starting his phase, Leo motions for his trio advancing on the natural path to take to the offensive. He pairs his Paladin with the Dark Knight to assume a Guard Stance, and places them directly in front of Cyrus' lone Dark Knight to attack it.

The accuracy of both parties is far from perfect, with Cyrus' Dark Knight only having a 75% chance to hit while Leo's paired unit has a chance of 82%. In turn, the Sorcerer supporting Cyrus' Dark Knight has a 100% chance to hit, but will do no damage due to Leo's Guard Stance. The two roll their dice, with Leo landing a roll well over the requirements he required to hit his target. His Dark Knight's chance to crit is 0%, allowing him to land fifteen points of damage to Cyrus' Dark Knight.

Cyrus fails his chance to hit by a spectacular margin, but successfully lands a 4% chance to land a critical hit, dealing heavy damage, but only enough to bring Leo's Dark Knight to a single unit of hit points. In an effort to dispatch the weakened opposition, Leo sends in his Great Knight to toss a Hand Axe at Cyrus' Dark Knight; unfortunately for him, the Great Knight misses, allowing Cyrus' Dark Knight to survive with a single unit of hit points when Leo's Dark Knight performs its Dual Strike. Cyrus lets out a sigh of relief at this, which causes Leo to chuckle.

"Now I kind of regret equipping the Iron Sword instead of the Levin Sword."

"Hindsight is truly 20/20, Cyrus; let's see what else I can make you regret…"

Leo returns his focus to the central front, where his General and Malig Knight are still in no clear position to approach. He elects to bring his Kinshi Knight and Butler onto the ground, switching the Butler to the lead position and arming it with a Flame Shuriken. Cyrus shades his eyes at this. ' _I might have to use my 3-range Sniper to weaken that unit. That shuriken will kill my Paladin otherwise._ ' Leo elects to end his phase on this note, which causes Cyrus to don a surprised expression. "An interesting choice, my Lord."

"I had the option of continuing my offensive against your Paladin, but building up an opportunity for you to get a guaranteed Dual Guard is not worth it." He smirks, folding his hands together as he follows, "I've seen how you manipulate the enemy into making such mistakes, Cyrus. You prey on the Hoshidan's desire to end Nohrian lives as quickly as possible. You raise their hopes, only to wrench their victory away and undo all of their progress in just one execution." Cyrus' expression becomes downtrodden at this, causing him to cast his eyes down in shame. "I meant no offense, of course."

He shakes his head in response, clearing it of the troubling thoughts that plague him at present. "It's an astute observation, my Lord, though I can't say I'm terribly proud of it."

"War changes people, Cyrus; you've experienced two prior to this, yes?"

He nods, saying, "That is correct, though I've always been this kind of strategist, even when I was a lad. My older brother was the first to point this out; you remind me of him, actually."

"Oh? How so?"

"Trevor was quite the studious sort; when he wasn't practicing the back swing of his axe, you could find him in our father's library studying whatever struck his fancy. He was particularly fond of chess, and general forms of warfare. I wouldn't consider him a prodigy as you are; that honor would go to our older sister." A sad expression suddenly commands his countenance, which catches Leo's attention.

Despite wanting to be direct about this matter, Leo elects to take a more discreet approach. "Is something the matter?"

"I was just lost in my thoughts. I always tried to impress those two. Besting Trevor in combat was difficult, an almost insurmountable task for the lad I used to be. We each took to mastering a different weapon; I chose the sword, Trevor the axe, and Diane the spear." He chuckles, seemingly amused that he's sharing this tale. "My sister's the reason I took up the spear as a secondary weapon; I always wanted to impress her in some manner, but that chance passed me by long ago."

"I know your plight well, for I am the same. I…could never best Brother Xander at swordplay; that man is something otherworldly. I took up magecraft, not just to distinguish myself from him, but also to remind the country that brute force was not the only means of strength."

"You certainly succeeded; there's not a single soul in Nohr who isn't aware of your mastery of magic. I'm quite curious to see what would become of you if you went to Erdboden. My world is saturated in magic, which would enhance your abilities significantly."

"I see. If it would not be too much trouble to have me, I would like to visit at least once. Pray tell, are all the citizens of your world like you?"

"I'm one of the weird ones, actually, but there are plenty of eccentrics strewn about the realm."

"Eccentric as in?"

"The population is about as diverse as the retainers to the Nohrian royal family."

Leo visibly shudders at this, his face contorting into a perturbed countenance. "I- I will have to think on this matter; let us continue. It is your move."

Seeing Leo's reaction gets a chuckle out of Cyrus, though he quickly regains his composure to make his move. One look at the map confirms that Leo's units are in position for him to activate both Dragon Veins. ' _Time to go to work._ ' His first action is sending his Dark Knight to pair up as the Sorcerer's defensive support. The Dark Knight, in turn, is granted safety from damage. The Sorcerer then moves a tile forward and attacks Leo's Dark Knight, taking away its remaining hit point to leave the Paladin vulnerable.

Cyrus then has his Swordmaster activate the Dragon Vein, causing ten points of damage to both the Paladin and Great Knight. He then motions for his Strategist to activate the Dragon Vein that burns the bridge. Leo's eyes widen when Cyrus reveals the specifics of his attack, quickly realizing that the three units he stationed on the bridge have been effectively removed from combat. "By the gods, you baited me." He chuckles at this, which soon gives way to a brief laughing fit. "And here I was, trying to take advantage of your defensive nature. I should have lured you over here as I originally intended."

"My phase is not yet over, but do you have a plan, my Lord?"

Leo shakes his head, in spite of the smile on his face. "Just looking ahead two turns, I can tell that I've been placed into a position I would need lucky rolls to escape from. Had I not lost that Adventurer, we might have been fine." He raises a hand in resignation, and follows, "The victory is yours on this day, Cyrus; I believe that ties the score once more. Fifteen to fifteen, yes?"

"Sixteen to sixteen, actually. Shall we go for a tie-breaker before it grows too late?"

Leo sighs to this, rising from his seat to begin clearing the table as he says, "I would like nothing better, but I really should get going. I can sense Peri growing restless; if I am not there to stay her sword hand, I fear the resulting consequences."

"We should really consider training her maids and butlers; perhaps having servants who can defend themselves would make her less inclined to slaughter them."

"Actually, I believe Felicia recently undertook that task personally."

A surprised expression forms on Cyrus' face upon hearing this. "You speak truly? Then they are in good hands." After the table is cleared, Cyrus shakes hands with Leo before saying, "It was an honor, Lord Leo; I look forward to next time."

"As do I, Cyrus; I should like to render retribution for today's defeat. You caught me well off guard today, but know that I learn from my mistakes."

"I would expect nothing less from one of my favorite opponents. Until next time."


	3. Peri and Charlotte

**Somnis (Peri and Charlotte)**

After spending the better part of her afternoon striking a Killer Axe across the faces of various pirates on a failed boat heist, Charlotte sits at a table roughly half-way into a novel. As she turns a page, her attention is drawn to the front door of her quarters; she can discern the sounds of the door being unlocked, and opts to bookmark her current page and set her book down. Rising from her seat, she can see the door swing open at a medium pace. Her eyes are immediately drawn to a familiar head topped with bubblegum blue and cotton candy pink hair. Once Charlotte adjusts to this, Peri's full splendor comes into view. The knight sports her usual cheery expression, accentuated by her humming and light bouncing.

Next to this outlandish ensemble is the likewise familiar brown, albeit sometimes black in appearance, hair color of Cyrus. In contrast to Peri, Cyrus' expression is rather placid, comparable to that of one lost in meditation. His eyes are closed, evoking a sagely visage that is unlike him. Charlotte shrugs at this, paying little heed to the matter, and instead turns to address Peri.

"If it isn't my favorite killing machine; how are you, Peri?"

The grin that plasters onto Peri's face is enough of an answer to the query, but the way Peri struts into the living quarters, practically skipping as she does so, suggests that she is far and away feeling better than usual. Cyrus steps in as well, closing the door behind him, but not locking it. He then stands at attention, looking to Charlotte despite keeping his eyes closed.

"I'm feeling just great, Charlotte!" She then wraps an arm around Cyrus' furthest shoulder and pulls him close, lightly crashing her right cheek against his left. "I had a blast with your husband today, and wanted to thank you."

"Thank me for…what, exactly?"

"For picking someone super strong, obviously."

Before Charlotte can make a reply to this, Cyrus looks to her and asks, "Shall I prepare tea?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, sure thing, darling; that sounds lovely." She watches as Cyrus slips out of Peri's grip, bows to the both of them, and then disappears into the kitchen to prepare an as of yet unknown blend of tea. Turning her attention back to Peri, she jabs a thumb towards the kitchen as she asks, "Is there something wrong with him?"

Peri shrugs in response, giggling before she replies, "Beats me; he was fine before we got here."

The two find themselves on a minor tangent discussing their respective results of the most recent battle. Charlotte's joyous expression is uncontainable as she boasts about how her enemy tally scored higher than that of her husband. Peri, in contrast, laments how Corrin allowed Shura, the army's most recent recruit, to live in spite of his transgressions. Cyrus returns to the area before long, holding a decorated pot of tea with his only hand while using magic to levitate the tableware in the space next to him.

With a flourish of both dexterity and magic, he serves a cup to Charlotte and Peri before taking a step back to bow to them once more. After taking a sip of her tea, Charlotte lets out a contented sigh. "How delightful; you really are quite skilled at this, my love." She looks over to him, seeing that he is standing in such a way that implies he is awaiting further orders. Charlotte smiles at this, thinking he's just getting into a role. "Thank you, Cyrus; that will be all; you are dismissed." Much to her surprise, Cyrus bows, gently sets the teapot at the center of the table, and then climbs into bed. Charlotte's face twists into an expression of bewilderment, with her only vocal response being, "Eh?"

Peri laughs at this before saying, "I guess I really did tire him out."

"What did you two do, exactly?"

"Well, I was getting bored a few hours ago; so bored that I was about five seconds away from swinging my weapon at the first living thing that popped into view. Then Cyrus showed up and offered to spar with me! What a guy!"

Glancing at the sleeping form of her husband, Charlotte dons an amused yet bemused expression as she thinks to herself, ' _He takes the self-sacrificing thing way too far._ ' She chuckles, albeit out of confusion rather than amusement. "You must have been really energetic if you managed to tire him out."

"I think his earlier spar with Lord Xander played a part in that." She pouts at this, looking at Cyrus as she follows, "It's a shame, too; he's really fun to fight. You know what's a bigger shame, though? That you have to share him. Were you really OK with that?"

Charlotte's expression shifts to one of contemplative uncertainty. "I wasn't at first, but Cyrus was upfront about the matter when we started dating so I wanted to give him a chance." She takes another sip of her tea, using the moment to gather her thoughts and properly recollect the past. "You know, the weird part is that I fell for the guy before I found out he had money."

"Maybe you liked the way he beat up the bad guys; I certainly did!" She pouts again, resting her cheek in her hand as she follows, "Though I was disappointed that he could follow Lord Corrin's merciful ways so easily. A real waste of killing potential."

"I don't think it was that, either." She pours herself another cup of tea, holding out the pot towards Peri's cup to silently ask if her guest would like a refill. Peri smiles and nods, prompting Charlotte to pour her cup as well. Staring into her own cup, Charlotte can see her reflection just before it is distorted by the rippling waves of the tea contained therein. "I guess…I was drawn to him because he saw right through me from the start. He knew the kind of person I was and yet never drew attention to it." She frowns, setting the cup down. "I thought he had an angle, like I did, so I tried to figure him out."

Peri snickers at this, lightly dancing in her seat as she comments, "You went looking for trouble but found love instead." She then starts laughing, causing Charlotte to pout in turn.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Glancing at Cyrus again, she says, "He doesn't really act like a guy with a harem, let alone one as big as he has now." She puffs out her cheek, looking back to Peri as she follows, "Then again, I don't exactly know too many men with seven other wives so I don't have a frame for comparison."

"Wow, seven?! That makes you the eighth, right? Are the others as strong as you are?"

Angling her head towards the ceiling, Charlotte takes a moment to reflect on the things she's been told about the other women that are a part of Cyrus' life. "There is one woman named Terri; she's apparently suplexed a wyrm before, albeit an adolescent."

"How big are those?"

"An adolescent wyrm, at least as Cyrus described it, is a little larger than a two-story house. To be honest, I think he's overplaying her strength. He also told me that Terri's younger twin sister can punch people so hard that they disintegrate."

Peri's expression brightens with surprise and admiration, but then quickly shifts to a frown when she realizes, "Wait, disintegration means there's no blood, right?" Charlotte nods. "Boo~"

"That can't possibly be true." Peri snickers at this, causing Charlotte to frown and ask, "Just what are you snickering about?"

"You say that's impossible when I've seen you punch a tree so hard that it fell over."

Charlotte stares at her for a moment, an expression of abject shock and horror on her face. ' _Oh, shit, she saw that, too?!_ ' Before she can turn the subject towards a different direction, a thought occurs to her, compelling her to ask what she deems a pertinent question. "Was there anyone else nearby when you saw this?"

"Nah, just you, me, and Cyrus."

A sigh of relief escapes Charlotte as she leans back in her chair. It takes a moment for her to think on it, but she soon says, "I'm not even sure why I'm still worried about people seeing the real me. I've found a man who both meets my standards and knows full well who I am, so I shouldn't be bothered with others seeing the same, right?"

"I don't see why you were so bothered in the first place." She takes a sip of her tea, licking her lips and smiling just before setting the cup back down. "Did it really matter if you acted differently in front of people? Charlotte is still Charlotte behind all of that, right?"

Charlotte groans at this, leaning back in her chair while resting her hands behind her head. "Ugh, you sound like my husband." Peri laughs at this before the two are left with a moment of silence wherein they simply enjoy their tea, as well as each other's presence. "I haven't really asked Cyrus about his other wives, but these months we've spent together lead me to believe that I won't regret this decision."

"If you ever get worried that he's not giving you enough attention, just challenge the others to a battle royale and beat the crap out of 'em." The sincerity of her suggestion causes Charlotte to sputter her tea and burst into laughter. This brings a grin to Peri's face; "Cyrus appreciates a strong woman, right? It's the perfect plan and you get to beat up the other wives; that makes it twice as perfect!"

"Never change, Peri; never change. How long can you stay? I could bake cookies or something." She leans a bit forward in her seat, shading her eyes and forming a conniving grin on her lips as she follows, "I'll even make them in the shape of gingerbread men; I know how much you love chomping their heads off."

"Aw, that sounds so good right now!" She frowns, accentuating such with a disheartened expression. "I'd love to, but I gotta meet up with Laslow and Lord Xander pretty soon."

"That is a pity." She sighs, rising from her seat to open the door for her departing guest. As Peri steps outside into the light of the ending afternoon, she and Charlotte share a silent knowing glance at each other. They both smile, with Charlotte saying, "The offer for the cookies is always open, so stop by whenever."

"Sure thing; those gingerbread men won't know what hit 'em!"

She waves as she closes the door; for a few seconds, the sounds of Peri's armor striking against itself can be heard as the knight presumably departs with a certain vigor to her steps. Charlotte finds herself smiling softly at the sight, in spite of not being able to actually see it. A rustling brings her back to the machinations of her quarters, prompting her to turn around and see Cyrus waking from his brief slumber.

He lets out a loud yawn and wipes his eyes before looking around. "Why am I in bed? Wasn't I just walking with Lady Peri?" His eyes eventually fall on Charlotte, who is staring at him with that same soft smile on her face from before. "Greetings, my dear; I have no idea when I got home but…hey, I'm home."

"What? But you only just went to sleep."

"I had the weirdest dream, too."

"Oh? What was it about?"

"I dreamt that I served as a butler for you and Lady Peri. You were a courteous mistress."

' _By the gods; he can take care of me while sleeping?_ ' Stepping away from this revelation, Charlotte giggles to herself and walks over to Cyrus. In an effort to change the subject, she says, "I hate to bring this up when you're barely conscious, but I've been thinking about something for awhile now…"

Another yawn escapes the man as he sits himself on the edge of bed. Seeing the despondent look on Charlotte's face, he shoots a soft smile towards her as he says, "No need to hold back, you know. What's on your mind?"

She looks him in the eyes, a serious expression beaming from hers to his. Nervous though he may be, Cyrus doesn't break eye contact. "Cyrus, you have seven other wives; what makes me so special?" Much to her surprise, Cyrus lets out a loud sigh of relief at this question, practically falling onto his back as he exaggerates his current state of emotion. Charlotte giggles at this odd form of expression, despite her bewildered face showing that she has no idea what she is expected to make of it.

"I feel as if the things I went through before we met made me mature enough to stand on equal footing with you." For a moment, his eyes look towards the floor, distant and forlorn in their visage. He looks back up before long, though his downtrodden expression still persists. "Normally, I'd pretend that there's nothing wrong, and would act as an affable person to avoid suspicion."

Charlotte quickly pieces together where this explanation is going, but folds her arms and presents forth an expectant look rather than looking surprised. ' _Is he seriously going where I think he is?_ '

"You were the type of person who could see through that façade from the outset, which made it easier to avoid a relapse. You're a strong person, Charlotte, much stronger than I am. You're a lot like Terri, but unlike her, I don't feel as if I'm dragging you down by being your lover." He blushes, struggling to find some object to focus his eyes on as he says, "I found some much needed confidence in myself when we started dating." This momentary embarrassment persists, but he finds it in himself to look Charlotte in the eyes again. "I've found a fair bit more since we got married."

She looks away from him, though she is unable to do so before he can see the blush form on her face in turn. "You know it's not fair to look at me like that." She glances at him for just long enough to see that his expression has yet to change. Try as she might, she is unable to keep herself from looking at him for too long, and eventually finds herself taking a place on the bed at his side, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

Cyrus' initial response is silence. He rests his head against hers while wrapping his arm around her furthest shoulder to bring her just a bit closer to him. He closes his eyes, getting comfortable as his soft smile returns once more. His voice is barely a whisper as he finally replies, "I love you too."


	4. Effie

_Author's Notes : Spoilers for Conquest Chapter 23._

 **A Different Perspective (Effie)**

A lone Effie currently walks through a forest that rests just outside of the Ebon Roost's walls. In spite of being located within the Astral Realm, the locale of the surrounding world is no different than the realm she calls home. Her most recent workout came to a close not too long ago; the session was cut short, much to Effie's disappointment, due to Princess Elise no longer wishing to be used as a dumbbell. Effie heaves a sigh at this, her arm subconsciously making the curling motion as she remembers how Elise's weight was perfect for her purposes. Though this is not the first time this has happened, she laments the outcome all the same.

Effie's trek eventually brings her to a river stream, though she is not alone at this location. A quick survey of the area reveals that Cyrus is here, sitting just above the water's edge. His body is still, save for his head's occasional nodding. Effie calls out to him, "Taking a break, Cyrus?" She receives no answer, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. ' _Did he not hear me?_ ' Instead of calling him a second time, she walks over to find that he's asleep. ' _It must be a deep sleep; normally, he'd wake up after my foot crunched a blade of grass._ '

In his mind, Cyrus is currently lost in a dream, one whose subject is fixed on an upcoming battle at the Hoshidan location known as the Great Wall of Suzanoh. Cyrus has been dreaming about this location for weeks now, with each iteration yielding a different result. The enemies therein are distinct from most others, with the first wave being in an open environment where it is difficult to take advantage of the terrain. To make matters worse, more troops are waiting in ambush at the top of staircases.

Among the most threatening of these enemies is their leader, Takumi, the youngest prince of Hoshido. Though Corrin's army has advanced beyond the range of the Ballista that Takumi currently operates, the threat he poses has yet to decrease in level. With the victory close at hand, Xander suggests that he and Cyrus make the final push to deal with Takumi; Leo supports this plan, giving the others no reason to object. To meet this end, the rest of the army charges ahead to clear a path, leaving Xander and Cyrus the perfect amount of room to push forward.

The duo meets Takumi, whose expression is so filled with contempt that it is questionable if this man is the same one they met when Corrin first made his choice to side with Nohr. With Siegfried drawn, Xander raises his arm to the sky and lets loose a battle cry before commanding his horse to charge ahead; Cyrus remains close at his side, ready to protect the Crown Prince at any moment. The duo believes itself to be at the advantage in close quarters, but Takumi disproves this notion with a fiendish grin as he pulls back on his bowstring and fires an arrow at Xander shortly after taking a direct hit from Siegfried.

This arrow is blocked by Xander's trusted shield, though it is not without consequence. Cyrus takes the helm, readying the Hastebrand as he puts himself between Xander and Takumi. "Lord Xander, we need to fall back!" He blocks an incoming arrow from one of the archers supporting the now recovering Takumi. Though the prince wishes to question the sudden order for retreat, he finds his answer in Takumi's sudden manifestation of a darkened aura. He makes his escape first, with Cyrus having to take an arrow to the shoulder to keep one out of Xander's neck.

Just as Xander makes it halfway down the stairs, he hears a crashing thud behind him and turns his head to see Cyrus' battered and bloodied body rolling towards him. The last of the outside world Cyrus can hear as everything goes dark is the sound of Siegfried firing one of its signature blade beams, followed by a voice calling out to him. Strangely, the voice does not belong to Xander, nor does it even sound like it belongs to a man.

He feels a presence drawing near his frame, which causes his body to wake from its slumber with a jolt. This unfortunately has the effect of having him shout, upon opening his eyes, "Blame Takumi!" His senses return, allowing him to realize that he's in a forest, rather than at the Great Wall. He looks to the side to see Effie staring at him with a concerned expression. "E- Effie?"

"Your dreams must be intense; you're sweating enough to fill a gallon, Cyrus." His response is to splash his face with some of the water from the flowing stream, followed shortly by a quick shake of the head to clear both his face and his mind. "It's just the two of us here if you want to talk about it."

He lets out a relieved sigh, though it is not in response to Effie's proposal. "It was just a dream; I thought I had put Lord Xander's life in danger."

"Sounds to me like you were the one in real danger; you muttered something about covering his escape and everything."

Cyrus dons a pained expression at this. "I still talk in my sleep when I'm having nightmares? I thought I grew out of that…" He shakes his head, putting the notion out of his mind before continuing, "I should have sent you in as his support instead; what he needed was extra defense. I'm…" his pained expression deepens; "…I'm not much of a protector."

"Now you're not making any sense. Don't you remember that one time you protected me from incoming enemy mages? Give me a Berserker and I'll block him like a brick wall, but against magic users I might as well be wet tissue paper." She giggles before poking Cyrus in the cheek. She applies a bit too much force, causing the tactician to fall over on his side with a soft thud. "Were it not for you, I could be dead right now. Sure, you're not conventional, but you still protect others in your own way."

He picks himself up, opting to dust off his shoulder cape before making a reply. "I've had this same conversation with Lady Elise. I can't help it, but I've always resented that I couldn't be a proper Paladin like my mother. The power I wield isn't really meant for saving lives. Truly, the only way I can preserve one life is to completely eradicate another. There's no middle ground."

"The people you save are important, right?"

"Yes, of course, but the people I kill are important as well. They each had their own story to tell before I cut it short."

Effie shakes her head to this notion, though the expression she wears is sympathetic in its visage. "This is your third war, Cyrus; you have to let that thought go before it drives you insane." This sympathy suddenly turns stern as she draws a bit closer to him. "People take advantage of that sort of kindness; I trust you understand that?" Cyrus isn't given a chance to respond before Effie pulls back and sighs. "The trials you and Lord Corrin have to face are a result of such kindness, you know. Everyone can see it."

Cyrus nods to this, turning Effie's expression to one of mild surprise. "Lord Corrin and I knew full well what taking this path would mean. I'm no stranger to adversity, Effie; I'm prepared to deal with the consequences of my actions." He closes his eyes and nods to himself, silently affirming his stance on the matter. "It's precisely why I endeavor to develop strategies that ensure all of us come home from a battle alive."

"I appreciate that, truly I do, but we're soldiers, Cyrus; death is a part of the job that we accept."

"But you don't have to accept it."

"Do you mean to say you plan for our army to win this war without a single casualty?"

"I do, and I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen. Technically speaking, I made it through both of the other wars I participated in without losing a single ally." His face is suddenly plagued by a disheartened countenance, which he tries to hide behind a rather obvious sardonic smile. "Technically…" He scoffs at the claim, mocking himself.

"You must be talking about your former friend; you must really care about him if you're willing to count him as an ally after all that he did."

"I'm an idiot for it, but that guy was like family to me. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror and see my missing arm, I wonder if he actually saw things the way I did." He chuckles. "Knowing that I'll never see him again is a weird thought, even after all this time."

Effie presses a finger to her temple, closing her eyes as she tries to wrap her mind around an unspoken subject in her head. "You and Lord Leo are so unlike how I imagine strategists to be. The both of you have lost days worth of rest fretting over how best the army can cheat death."

"And all of you are still here, so those lost days are worth it." His serious expression gives way to a soft smile as he follows, "You know, I admire your level of strength, Effie. It may be comparable to some people I've met in Erdboden, but your dedication to becoming stronger is among the likes of which I've never seen before."

To his surprise, Effie's expression shifts to show bewilderment. "But what about you?" Cyrus makes a face that seems to imply he is completely ignorant of Effie's implications, which causes her to sigh and smile at him. "Gods, but you're dense. You train about as often as Lord Xander."

"…how do you know that?"

The sincerity in his confusion causes Effie to giggle again, shortly before she says, "You're kinda cute when you're clueless." She pokes his cheek again, causing him to fall over once more. Cyrus' displeased groan forces Effie to stifle a snicker. ' _I should probably work on that._ ' She rises to her feet, offering a hand to help Cyrus to his own. He accepts this offer, rising up to meet Effie's gaze. "My break's almost over; you wanna help me train?"

"You think I can assist you? How so?"

She shrugs. "I'm always willing to try new means of getting stronger. I could probably help you, too."

Cyrus dons a contemplative stance at the notion. "Hm, I have often wondered how you managed to become such a defensive paragon." He holds his chin in his hand, furrowing his brow as he continues, "The Protectors of Etria; the Hoplites of Armoroad; even the Fortresses of Tharsis…I didn't meet one among their number whose raw defensive prowess was as obscene as yours." He nods, his countenance easing into one that is calmer. "Forsooth, there is much I can learn from you. I'd be honored to serve as your training partner, Effie."

She smiles at this. "Glad to hear it! Let's start things off with some wrestling!"

Cyrus feels his body subconsciously slipping into a defensive stance as Effie rushes in to grab him. ' _Wait…wait what?_ ' In but a few nigh-incomprehensible seconds, he finds himself on the grass, looking up at Effie's face. Her battle-ready expression is akin to that of Charlotte's when she sees an enemy whose guard is wide open for a critical strike. ' _Why do I always get the dangerous ones?_ ' Effie jumps back, giving Cyrus the opportunity to roll back onto his feet. "That was a lucky shot, my dear, but don't think all of them will be that easy."

"Oh? Sounds like someone's got a backbone! Come at me!"


	5. Camilla

**The Road Taken (Camilla)**

Hanging upside down from a sturdy tree branch, Cyrus currently occupies himself with staring up through the gaps of the canopy above him. This day happens to be particularly cloudy, allowing him to watch the clouds slowly drift by as he loses himself in thought. Before long, the scent of rose perfume wafts along the gentle breeze, snapping him from his introspection to the present situation. He tilts his head to look upwards, in this case, towards the ground below, and immediately regrets his decision upon seeing said ground.

Nothing occupies the ground beneath him, but the simple notion of how high up he is causes his body to tense, almost freezing entirely. Shortly thereafter, the bearer of the rose perfume moves into his vision, revealing herself to be Princess Camilla. The sight of her lavender hair and gentle purple eyes lends a fair bit towards calming Cyrus' nerves, but not nearly enough to ease his abject fear. The two stare at each other in silence, with Camilla eventually tilting her head to the side as the reality of the situation dawns upon her.

"Cyrus? Why are you hanging upside down like that?"

His voice is tellingly nervous and jittery, much unlike what Camilla has come to expect of the tactician. "Y- You see, Mila- Milady, I was sp- sparring with Effie…and made a fatal mistake." He takes the moment to swallow a lump of emotion in his throat. Camilla assumes this must be his pride in admitting defeat, but is actually the fear that has momentarily overwhelmed him completely. "She sl- slipped in her efforts to slam me, re- re- resulting in my subsequent flight." He gestures with his one arm as he says, "This is where I ended up."

Camilla adopts a contemplative stance, resting a fist beneath her chin. The look on her face suggests that she's trying to imagine how such a sparring match could have possibly occurred, and how anyone could be crazy enough to accept a challenge from Effie in the first place. "Hm, I'm surprised that you're still alive. You must be quite the resilient sort to survive an attack from our dear Effie." Looking towards the right, she can see a multi-legged insect slowly making its way onto the branch that Cyrus occupies. She smiles at this, letting out a giggle before saying, "It would appear that you have company."

"Huh?" His eyes scan downward, aiming towards the branch above him, allowing him to see a disconcertingly large centipede taking cautious steps towards him. The creature is unlike the common house centipede variety that Cyrus also dislikes; this centipede boasts a larger build, appearing almost fleshly in its design, and sports a striking color scheme consisting of hot pink flesh lined with neon blue rings. It stops, raising its head upwards to scan the area with its feelers. Cyrus then turns into an incoherent mess, stammering and making yelp-like noises as he tries to force his body to move.

He eventually succeeds, freeing himself from the tree branch. This has the effect of causing him to plummet onto the dirt face-first, but he remains seemingly unfettered as he quickly picks himself up from the ground and dashes over to Camilla's side. He looks to the branch he once occupied to see that the centipede did not pursue him, letting out a sigh of relief at the notion. Placing his hand over his chest, he can feel his heart beating at an alarming rate. This is only further accentuated by the look of inconsolable fear that is plastered onto his countenance and controls his current body language.

Camilla watches as the man takes in a few deep breaths and exhales to calm himself. She looks back to the peculiar centipede to see that the creature has elected to climb higher above into the canopy beyond. Turning her attention back to Cyrus, she can see that he is now much calmer, though his abject fear is still plain as day to see. She dons her contemplative stance again, this time with a look of concern upon her face.

"Are you going to be alright, Cyrus?"

He exhales one last time before fixing his posture and turning to face Camilla. In doing so, he reveals that he is sweating a fair amount at present, which doesn't do much to convince Camilla of his well-being. "My apologies for that shameful display, Lady Camilla." His voice seems to have returned to normal as well. "At first I was flustered about being suspended above the ground, but then that terrifying Hellspawn appeared and caused the situation to escalate beyond reason."

"I never would have pegged you as the type to be afraid of heights…or bugs."

"I think I'm fine with most insects, but centipedes are a…trigger for me." His face goes dark, complemented by his following expression. "I almost lost my life because of one."

"How is that possible?" Before Cyrus can answer, she raises a finger and posits, "Ah, of course; you must have suffered a bite from the venomous variety." Upon seeing Cyrus shake his head, she tilts her own, silently conveying her confusion.

"There is a particular breed of centipede in Erdboden known as the Gigapede. For reference," he explains while pointing at the tree he just occupied, "the average length of a Gigapede extends just beyond the height of the branch I was just on, with their width averaging out to be about the same length as the branch itself."

Camilla looks to him, and then to the tree and its branch. For the sake of comparison, she imagines a lineup wherein her wyvern's size is directly compared to this creature Cyrus is describing, as well as the centipede she just watched crawl away. Her face goes pale at the results, with her expression shifting to be akin to a ghastly look of unadulterated horror. She looks back to Cyrus, whose grim expression does nothing to ease her fears. "Be a dear and tell me you're joking."

"I wish I could." He closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying to rid his mind of the visions that are flooding it. "I was rather young when I had to deal with a Gigapede on my own for the first time. I'll never forget the dried, rust-smelling blood that covered the mandibles that nearly severed my head from its body, nor can I forget the sinister gleam manifested by the killing intent of the creature's stare…and the screeching; dear gods, the screeching."

Camilla, unable to take much more of this disturbingly specific level of detail, takes both of her hands and clasps them to Cyrus' cheeks, rendering him unable to continue talking coherently. He tries to ask Camilla about her actions, but his delivery comes out as little more than a distorted mess of collective sounds. "That's quite enough of that." Cyrus nods his head to affirm his assent, to which Camilla releases him from her grasp. "I suppose your world is as much wrought with wonder as it is horror."

He nods to this. "Indeed. I apologize if my words left you disgruntled in any way."

"Pay it no heed, Cyrus. Anyway, it's a good thing I ran into you; I wished to discuss a rather important matter with you."

"Truly? I apologize for that diversion; how may I assist you, Milady?" Camilla's expression turns solemn, causing a similar reaction in Cyrus as a single bead of sweat rolls down the side of his head. Though he is unsure of his own following words, he says, "Milady, there is no need to hold back. What seems to be the matter?"

She closes her eyes, a somewhat pained expression forming on her face. "You've been with this army for a long time now, Cyrus, so I feel more than a little conflicted in questioning you, but I have to know." She then opens her eyes to see the expectant look on Cyrus' face. "Why have you spent this much effort in assisting our cause? What's in it for an interloper such as yourself?" Cyrus motions to answer, but silences himself before he can properly begin. "I can understand fighting for your comrades now, since you've married Charlotte and have established a healthy rapport with the army, but at the beginning…I admit to having been more than a little suspicious of you."

"Those feelings are not unwarranted, considering I spent much of my time with Lord Corrin. I can only imagine how afraid you might have been of me endangering his life."

"Was it that obvious to tell?" She sighs, turning her head away from him in shame. "I wanted to address this so long ago, but the way Corrin spoke so fondly of you…I didn't have the heart to tell him what I thought of you." To her surprise, Cyrus maintains his usual stoic expression. He betrays no sense of hurt or anger. "I used to hate how you could be so expressionless when faced with pressure."

"What of now, Lady Camilla? Does your opinion of me remain?"

"Of course not; I recognize you as an ally…a friend, even." Her once pained expression fades to give way to a kindhearted smile. "All of your contributions to my darling brother's cause have not gone by unnoticed; I've even caught wind of you providing assistance to Elise and Xander." She chuckles, running a hand through her hair before placing that same hand on her hip. "I can't remember the last time Leo looked so happy to engage another in an intellectual conversation. As for me…"

"I don't recall providing assistance to you, Lady Camilla; you are a lot like Lord Xander in that…you really don't need help with much of anything."

She laughs at this, waving a dismissive hand at Cyrus in turn. "Oh but that's not true. I happen to know that you're the one who gave me that Bolt Axe. I admit that spell books are not my greatest asset on the battlefield; I feel far more confident with an axe in hand. A magical axe is just what the healer ordered." She then lets out a sinister chuckle, sending a shiver down Cyrus' spine. "Perhaps that isn't on the same level of direct help you've given to my siblings, but I am grateful all the same. That is to say nothing of how happy you've made my darling Selena."

"I didn't think Selena was the type of person to admit such things."

"Oh, she does; just not in front of the relevant people." Cyrus hangs his head in response to this, which causes Camilla to giggle in amusement. "It's quite remarkable how you've changed our lives, which is why I wanted to know your motivation." Cyrus remains silent for a moment, leaving Camilla to wonder if he can't actually answer her inquiry. Just as she's ready to ask him again, he looks to her, ready to speak.

"When I first arrived in this world, I thought I was dead."

"What an odd assumption; did something happen in Erdboden?"

"Aye. My comrades and I had just finished our confrontation with a creature whose mere existence caused worldwide insanity to spread amongst the living populace of Erdboden." Camilla places a hand over her mouth, covering up her silent expression of shock. Seeing that she is unable to make a reply, Cyrus continues, "I used an ability of mine that I didn't have much experience with to end the battle. Its effects had some unpredictable results, and I won't learn the full scope of those results until I return home."

"Am I to assume that this ability is connected to your left eye?"

"Indeed." He covers his left eye with his hand, showing a sense of sadness with the eye that remains. "My Runic Eye has been the cause of much of Erdboden's strife. It's the very thing that kept me from dying young, but is also that which took my family away from me." He removes his hand, bringing Camilla's attention to the eye in question. She finds herself fixated on the circular runic pattern engraved into Cyrus' left eye, but quickly snaps back to the conversation when he resumes speaking. "I hold much power, Lady Camilla; more than the average Erdboden wizard. I…have a certain responsibility to others."

"I can see how far that mentality reaches, Cyrus. Your methods of assisting others are…more than a little self-destructive."

"When I awoke and found myself on that divided battlefield, the first thing that caught my attention was Lord Corrin. My Runic Eye allows me to read the aura of living beings; I don't get to use that trait often, but at that moment, it provided me with a much needed sense of clarity. Lord Corrin sported the aura of one who is True Neutral, someone unsullied by the notions of good or evil."

"What of the rest of us?"

He chuckles. "Each and every last one of you were clearly defined as individuals; you had chosen your paths long before I arrived, and could easily sway me, given enough time. Lord Corrin, however, was striking to me. He stood alone, conflicted at the center of the divided battlefield as Lord Xander and Lord Ryouma reached out to him." His eyes portray a sense of melancholy, suggesting that darker thoughts are beginning to take root. "Since I thought I was dead, I figured this was some sort of afterlife where I was meant to assist him."

"And you willingly did so? You didn't stop to think of the alternatives?" Cyrus shakes his head. "But why?"

"The world takes advantage of people like him, Lady Camilla. I had just finished fighting my own war, having made plenty of mistakes along the way." He sighs, not entirely sure if he has the right to say his next statement. "My aim is not to shelter Lord Corrin from making difficult decisions; what I sought, at least what I think I wanted to seek, was to help him learn to live without regrets." He chuckles at the notion, following, "It just so happens that he's the one who's been teaching me that very lesson."

"May I ask why you were so quick to believe that you were dead? I would imagine that most people wouldn't take such a revelation too well."

"Dying is a regular occurrence for me, Lady Camilla." She raises an eyebrow in response. "I make no exaggeration when I say I'm drinking buddies with Death himself." He makes no effort to contest the look of incredulity Camilla wears on her face, instead continuing his explanation. "Yeah, I got that same reaction in the other world as well. Magic is quite advanced in Erdboden, with healing magic being one of the studies that boasts the highest development rate. My best friend is among the most skilled practitioners I've ever met, and is the one responsible for…all of my revivals now that I think about it."

"I shouldn't be surprised, given what Selena has told me about some of your friends from home. I believe she said one of your lady friends is capable of making people disintegrate with a single punch…"

"Yes, her name is Amy; she's the healer I just mentioned."

"She's a healer?!" She rests a hand to her forehead, overcome with shock. "No, no…let us save that discussion for another day; I'm not sure I can handle more surprises from you."

"Very well. You asked why I was so quick to accept my supposed death..." He looks towards the tree canopies blocking the view of the sky. Though he is still able to see a few clouds through the gaps in the canopy, the endeavor is not quite the same as it would be if he had a standard view. Bringing his attention back to Camilla, his thoughts are now clearer. "I've died many times…I felt as if, going into that final battle, if I were to die during its progression, that would probably be the one that stuck."

"What of now? Do you still believe yourself to be dead?" Cyrus shakes his head to this, causing a look of surprise to form on Camilla's face. "Is that so? Pray tell."

"People like Corrin don't exist in Hell, Lady Camilla." Camilla is taken aback by his words, not sure if she should first address the sincerity of his high opinion towards Corrin or the low opinion of himself. To ease her of the burden of choice, Cyrus smirks and says, "Besides, I don't think Hell would have this many beautiful women filling its populace." Camilla heaves a loud sigh at this and shakes her head, which gets a laugh out of Cyrus. "My apologies; I had to do something since you were looking so troubled."

"I sure hope you stick around for awhile yet; I fear I won't have enough time to understand you."


	6. Xander and Felicia

**Reminiscence (Xander and Felicia)**

Some distance away from the army's current campsite lies an abandoned fort. According to the intel received from the scouts of the Nohrian army, the building was recently claimed from a gang of local brigands, whose members have since been incarcerated. At present, Cyrus stands within the center of this fort's entrance. He looks around, trying to ascertain its occupancy, quickly letting out a sigh as he determines that he is well and truly the only one here. He snaps his fingers, summoning a novice's healing staff from a portal of darkness.

Taking the staff in hand, Cyrus nods to himself before moving closer to a wall on the far side of the entry hall. He dons a stance, brandishing the staff out in front of him as if in preparation to cast its magic on some invisible target. ' _For some reason, the healers of this world cannot heal themselves with their own staves._ ' He tightens his focus, causing the crystal at the top of the staff to don a warm glow. Pleased though he may be with this development, Cyrus refrains from smiling to avoid breaking his concentration. ' _Thanks to this trick I learned from Felicia, I can practice the casting without actually needing a target. More importantly, I don't have to drag anyone else into this._ '

After a few more moments of focusing for the healing spell, Cyrus attempts to release the power contained within the staff. Under normal circumstances, the area around him would be enveloped in a shimmering light that serves no practical effect due to there being no target to heal. Instead, the magic building up within the crystal surges out of control and explodes, sending Cyrus flying through the walls of the fortress. When his brief flight is complete, Cyrus ends with a less than graceful landing wherein he crashes onto the ground, rolling for a short distance before coming to a halt.

He lays there, the left side of his face resting on the cold ground as he stares at the gaping hole in the fortress that he just created. ' _At least it wasn't the Records Hall this time…_ ' In but a moment, he can feel that the once cold ground is quickly starting to feel warmer around the region where his head rests. He is then overcome by an incredible headache, the pain of which is intense enough to force him to close his left eye in a poor attempt to alleviate his discomfort. ' _That's my blood I'm feeling…I need to find a healer._ '

Sitting up, Cyrus elects to clutch at the left side of his head, awkward though this may be since he can only use his right hand to do so. He quickly comes to the realization that this, too, is doing very little to ease his pain. He attempts to stand, only to fall to his knees due to a complete lack of balance. It is at this moment he learns his blunder caused more damage than he would have liked, as the vision of his right eye begins to turn white, starting with his peripheral. Though the progress is gradual, it is no less evident that the white void is encroaching ever nearer to the eye's center.

He tries one last time to get up and move, intent on making it as far as his failing vision will allow before he has to rely on the powers of his left eye to return to camp. ' _I sure hope the runic sight carried over to this world; otherwise, I'm likely screwed._ ' He is outright denied the opportunity to confirm this, for he falls to the ground once more, slowly losing consciousness as he does so. ' _Jolly good, Cyrus; you really cocked this one up you bloody idiot._ ' In spite of his self-depreciation, he tries one last time to pick himself up and move, only to fail and completely lose consciousness.

When next he opens his eyes, Cyrus finds himself staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling of a medical tent. He slowly sits up, closing his left eye as the pounding headache from before returns in an almost overwhelming rush. He finds that the pain is significantly less than it was before, so his urge to clutch at his head with his hand is easy to ignore. He looks over to the side to see Felicia and Xander entering the tent. The former dons a look of surprise upon realizing her patient has awakened, and rushes to his side.

"Thank the gods you're alright; how do you feel right now? Can you tell me a few things about yourself?"

Cyrus sighs at this, smiling at the thought of having to go through this process again. "Cyrus Coelistis; 19-years-old; I hail as a wizard from the world of Erdboden, where I live in the Land of Mages. To answer your previous question, I feel as if a Behemoth decked me in the head."

Felicia sighs in relief at this. "Looks like your concussion isn't nearly as severe as I thought it would be. Can I get you anything? You could probably use a drink."

"A glass of cold water would leave me quite chuffed right about now."

"J- Just water?" Cyrus nods to this, to which Felicia smiles and nods in kind. "That's something even I can handle!" As she leaves the tent, she shouts, "I'll be back!"

Xander and Cyrus watch the maid disappear, with the former commenting, "The girl most certainly tries to please." Turning his attention to Cyrus, he takes a single step forward and asks, "Is your memory sound, Cyrus? I should like to inquire what happened to you." His expression takes on its usual stern nature as he follows, "Kaze found you in a state that suggests you were ambushed; there was even a great deal of damage done to the abandoned fort nearby."

Cyrus' pained expression momentary gives way to show his shame. "I know that is how it appeared, Milord, but I assure you that the damage I sustained was my own doing."

"What? How is that possible? You are not…" His face betrays a sense of concern, sadness at the thought of the question he feels compelled to ask. "Cyrus…you are not battling with feelings of self-destruction, are you?"

"No, no, not this time, Lord Xander."

"Th- This time?! Does this happen often?" He sees Cyrus wince in pain at the sudden increase in volume, to which he follows, "My apologies; I did not mean to lose myself and increase your discomfort."

"Pay it no heed, Lord Xander. Your shocked reaction leaves me to believe that Lord Corrin and Lady Elise have not shared my…condition with you."

"What condition might this be?"

Cyrus takes this as his moment to explain both his inability to use healing magic and the reason for his injuries. As he begins, Felicia returns with the glass of water she promised; more to her own surprise than anyone else's, she manages to turn the glass over to Cyrus without stumbling or breaking anything. The smile she wears in her moment of triumph is enough to help the tactician momentarily forget the throbbing pain he feels in his head.

As Cyrus' explanation is finished, Xander and Felicia are left with stunned expressions forming their countenances. Though Felicia is at a momentary loss for words, Xander finds it in his ability to form a response. "That is quite the burden to bear, Cyrus."

"I knew it was foolish to think the results would be different after the blunder in the Records Hall, but something Lady Elise said made me feel compelled to try one more time." He lingers on that thought for a moment, soon coming to realize that Elise would more than likely feel guilty if she were to ever learn of this injury and the reasons behind its occurrence. In light of this, Cyrus follows, "I implore you to never speak these reasons to Lady Elise. I would hate to see her morale lowered over guilt for my own poor decisions."

Xander simply nods to this request. Though Felicia nods in turn, she replies, "I don't think your decision was foolish, Cyrus. This isn't the first time you've gotten yourself badly injured for the sake of the army; don't think we haven't noticed."

Xander voices his agreement of this assessment; "Indeed. It would be remiss of me to reprimand you for your efforts to better yourself. Your heart was in the right place, but I must protest to future endeavors of this nature."

"Yes, I understand." His eye casts down to the sheets covering his legs, barely veiling its sad visage. "This is the one thing I can't change in my life; I have yet to grow up and accept that."

Felicia dons a sympathetic look as she says, "I understand where you're coming from, you know." Cyrus and Xander look to her expectantly, though this does little to instill nervousness. "I'm sure you get compliments all the time about how great of a soldier you are, right?" Cyrus nods, opting to say nothing. "And yet, that's not the only talent you want. In fact, I'm willing to bet that you've never wanted to hurt people; that's a bit like me." She falls silent for a moment, not entirely sure if it's her place to say these things in front of Xander. Regardless of her fear of the consequences, she continues, "I'm a terrible maid; I don't think that's a surprise to anyone, but I do really well on the battlefield. I'm not oblivious to that, but what I want more than anything is to take care of people off the battlefield."

"I can't deny any of your words, Felicia. It was strange, being the only member of a family of White Mages that couldn't heal at all. I have great power, and I'd like to think I've come a ways in mastering most of it, but all I can do is kill and destroy."

Xander shakes his head to this. "You sell yourself short. On the battlefield, justice is naught but an illusion. There, you must fell the opposition to keep one of your own standing. There are seldom few who have worked as fiercely to keep our numbers standing as high as you have, Cyrus." He chuckles to himself, though Cyrus and Felicia are unsure as to why. "It was not long ago that I would admonish the little prince for his desire to win the war with his side suffering no casualties; the thought was preposterous." His stern expression gives way to a soft smile as he follows, "You and Leo helped me realize that such an outlandish goal could be reached with enough effort and dedication. I had hoped to teach that to Corrin, but I must have lost sight of my path along the way."

"You offered to help me become a better maid, Cyrus; do you remember that?"

"But of course; we practiced serving tea for weeks." He frowns at her, pretending to be rather upset as he follows, "Even after all of our struggles, you still never gave me the recipe for the Angel Cookies."

She winks at him, wagging a finger as she says, "Trade secret. I had no idea that you were also a butler, and such a good one at that. I can't imagine the practice you must have put in if you can still perform such tasks with only one arm."

"Having access to magic helps…a lot. I often saw you get discouraged; I've had those moments too. Even if you're terrible at something, effort can make up for a lack of talent."

Xander nods to this. "Well said. However, one must not focus on literal impossibilities."

"I agree with the prince, Cyrus. I don't know why you were born unable to use healing magic, but I do understand that you want to help people. You don't need healing spells to do that. I think it's safe to say you've helped everyone in the army at least once, and you've yet to require a healing staff to do so."

Cyrus falls silent upon hearing these words. Try as he might to think of a response, nothing comes to mind. Xander rises from his seat, prompting Felicia to do the same. "I am afraid our conversation must be cut here, Cyrus; there is a war council that Felicia and I must both attend."

Having been reminded of this upcoming war council, Felicia's once confident and beaming face devolves into one of nervousness. "Milord, are you sure you want me around for this?"

Xander sighs. "Yes, Felicia; Corrin and I both believe that your insight is valuable. In fact…" he glances over to Cyrus, who is motioning his hand by his throat as if to claim that he is dead or otherwise unable to chime in on this conversation. Felicia fails to notice this, but Xander understands the meaning well. He clears his throat before continuing. "Actually, never mind that next thought; just know that there is at least one other who finds your knowledge of the battlefield worth presenting at the council."

"OK…I'll do my best." She looks to Cyrus, who ceased his hand gesture moments ago to don a straight face. "I have to go, Cyrus, but Lady Elise will stop by to check on you."

"I understand; best of Erdboden to you." She tilts her head in confusion, prompting Cyrus to say, "Ah, right. Where I come from, that's just another way of wishing someone the best of luck."

"Ah, I see; thank you." Turning to Xander, she bows and asks, "Shall we get going, Lord Xander?"

"Yes, let us proceed."

* * *

 _Author's Notes : The original concept for this entry saw Azura as the sole focus of the conversation; I honestly have no idea how it changed to Xander and Felicia. Anyroad, while it's a bit early to talk about repeat appearances, would anyone object to that? I don't necessarily mean to do the exact same character combinations, but there are other conversation opportunities to be had with characters who have already had a chapter focused on them. I'm curious as to the readers' opinion._


	7. Hoshidan Royals

_Author's Notes : This piece contains story spoilers for Conquest - Chapter 18._

* * *

 **Confinement (Hoshidan Royals)**

After arriving in the neutral territory of Izumo, Corrin's army is met with a shocking revelation that the four members of the Hoshidan royal family are among their number of attending guests. The chance meeting starts in a far less than desirable manner, with Ryouma and Xander immediately expressing no short of a desire to meet each other in battle, even going so far as to express a willingness to engage in combat without weapons. It is through Corrin's efforts that their animosity is barely contained.

This thin layer of peace is breached no sooner than it is established, for the host of the festivities, the Archduke known as Izana, proves to be nothing more than an elaborate ruse enacted by a Nohrian mage acting of his own accord. Through this ruse, he succeeds in his plan of capturing the Hoshidan royal family while simultaneously confiscating their weapons. Though this turn of events is surprising enough, Corrin and Xander are surprised further still to find that Cyrus has also been captured.

The orchestrator of this, who reveals himself before Corrin and Xander as Zola, spares no expense in revealing his plan to execute his captives in hopes of improving his social standing. He then warps away, likely to a location where he may further relay orders to his own troops. At present, Cyrus shares a large makeshift cell with the four members of the Hoshidan royal family. The four have naturally chosen to stick close to each other while Cyrus respectfully keeps his distance.

Cyrus heaves a sigh, lamenting that he and his fellow captives have been tightly secured by ropes. Looking to the only means of entering and exiting this room, he closes his eyes to use his Runic Eye to scan the area. Through a manner not dissimilar to echolocation, he learns that the outside area is far too heavily guarded to warrant an unarmed charge. ' _It'll be awhile yet before Lord Corrin leads his troops down this way._ ' He takes another moment to try and struggle his way through his binds, taking a careful and calculated approach to loosening the ones securing his arm. Alas, he comes to no avail, causing him to click his tongue in frustration. "They were certainly thorough. Damn it."

He begins searching around the room in hopes of finding something that can assist with his escape plan. His feet likewise being bound only impedes his progress all the more. Sakura's attention is caught by this, and though she is more than a little intimidated by Cyrus' potentially unfavorable intentions, she asks, "E- Excuse me? What a- are you doing?"

Her older brother Takumi is quick to shoot down her question. "Don't waste your breath, Sakura."

Ignoring the prince, Cyrus answers, "I am currently searching for a means to free my right arm; if I can manage that, I can free the rest of you in turn." He looks to the door again, narrowing his vision into a glare as he follows, "The latter part is a might bit dicey, but I might even be able to keep you all safe until my allies arrive."

"Y- You want to protect us? Why?"

Ryouma turns his attention to Cyrus, as if to judge if his claim is trustworthy. "After facing you in battle twice now, I should like to understand your reasons as well. You would willingly offer assistance to the family of the man who has tried to end your life no less than twice at this point?"

The question causes Cyrus to cease his activity and look Ryouma in the eyes. "I hold no grudge against you, Lord Ryouma; we're at war, so this is to be expected." He heaves another sigh, momentarily casting his eyes to the floor in search of better formulated thoughts. "Whatever our circumstances outside of these neutral walls may be, they have nothing to do with the present moment. You lot are unarmed; I am honor-bound to protect you."

Hinoka tilts her head in confusion at the notion. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you're in the same boat as us."

"As soon as I free the binds on either my arm or feet, I assure you that will change, Lady Hinoka. I'm in a position to fight back, so I can't sit idly by."

His response only deepens the confusion expressed by Hinoka's countenance. "I don't get it; aren't you with the Nohrians? Why would you be so willing to help us when you could just escape on your own?"

"Before my allegiance, I am a knight; I have a code I am willing to break for one and one alone." He chuckles, catching everyone's attention as he follows, "Further, I serve Lord Corrin, not Nohr. My allegiance extends only as far as those who have my lord's favor." Glancing over to the door again, he frowns as he says, "I do not agree with the mentality I've seen of most Nohrians, least of all their king. It comes as no surprise that the troops who have sworn fealty to him would want me dead." He smirks at the four, chuckling as he says, "That's a perk I get from being an interloper."

"As if I'm going to buy that; how are we meant to trust you when you're just as likely to kill us yourself?"

"You have every right to think that way, Lord Takumi. My only means of convincing you would be through action…and even then I'm fairly certain you still wouldn't trust me."

"Hmph, at least we seem to be on the same page."

It is at this moment that the five are startled by what sounds like a great deal of metal crashing through a wall. Sakura frantically looks around in an effort to discern whether or not the rumbling will cause a break in their cell, but soon realizes that such is not the case. She moves a bit closer to her sister out of instinct.

Shortly after this crash, the voice of an infuriated woman can be heard shouting in the distance. "Where is he?!" Takumi and Hinoka jump at the sound, more than a little surprised to hear such ire coming from what sounds like an otherwise pleasant individual. "The Hell are you lookin' at, tin can?! This ain't a show; get bent!" Another crash is heard, this one sounding even more painful than the first.

Mozu's distraught voice rings through the walls next. "Charlotte, I reckon you should calm down a spell…"

A third crash sounds through the area, which causes both Cyrus and Ryouma to wince in emphatic pain. Surprisingly, Charlotte seems to calm down enough to address her ally, though not enough to completely suppress her fury. "Nonsense, Mozu; just watch my back, OK? I think he's close by!" Elise's voice can be faintly heard as well, sounding as if she is requesting Charlotte and Mozu to avoid pressing ahead too quickly.

Cyrus heaves a light sigh at this development, smiling wryly in kind. "This is precisely why I take care to avoid angering my wife." It takes a moment, but he suddenly remembers, "Oh dear, I gave her a hammer just before we arrived here; I almost feel bad for those Generals…almost."

A single bead of sweat rolls down the side of Ryouma's head. "Hold a moment; did you say that was your wife just now?" Seeing Cyrus nod confirms his inquiry, which fails to ease his concern. "Is it customary in your world for men to take such fearsome spouses?"

"No, just personal preference."

The casual tone he answers with causes Sakura to giggle, which she ceases in a hurry, but is unable to hide the forming blush on her cheeks. "S- Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh." She falls silent for a moment, expecting Cyrus to take offense. When she realizes that he isn't going to press the matter, she asks, "Do…do you need some help?"

"A gracious offer, Milady, but I think I have this figured out." He sits back down on the floor, and then attempts to loosen the bindings around his feet. It takes a sum of agonizing minutes of pulling, but he gives himself enough space to remove his right foot, which allows him to shed the binds entirely. "Excellent; victory is ours."

Takumi raises an eyebrow to this. "How do you figure? The guards outside are in full suits of armor; surely you do not intend to kick them into submission?"

"A tempting challenge, my lord, but no." He discards both of his boots, followed by his socks. After taking a deep breath, he exhales and snaps his fingers. A portal of darkness appears before him, which he reaches into using his outstretched right foot. He pulls his foot from the void, revealing that it is holding onto the Hastebrand. "I am quite lucky they did not think to completely bind my hand as well." He sits down on the floor again, securing the scabbard of the Hastebrand in one foot while the other grabs hold of the hilt.

With a firm pull, he slightly draws his sword, which causes a smirk to form on his face. The sword is then fully drawn, which prompts Cyrus to rise to his feet. Holding the sword up, he conjures forth another portal of darkness directly in front of his feet, which he drops the unsheathed Hastebrand into. The sword emerges from a portal towards the ceiling, and falls in such a way that allows it to slice through the bindings of his torso.

Takumi, impressed though he may be, can only frown at the sight. "You have got to be kidding me." After taking a moment to don his socks and boots, Cyrus secures his scabbard to the back of his waist and wrenches his sword from the floor. He walks over to Sakura and Hinoka, who both are understandably nervous as to his intentions. "You better not get any bright ideas!"

To Takumi's surprise, Cyrus cuts his sisters free from their bindings before moving over to free him and Ryouma in turn. The Hastebrand is returned to its scabbard, allowing Cyrus to pull the Runic Blade from a portal and secure it to his waist as well. He also takes a spell tome, which he elects to hover nearby. Looking to the exit, he nods to himself and says, "It would appear that we have time to spare."

"Uh, um, th- thank you for helping us like this." Cyrus looks to her with a genuine expression of shock on his face. "Is th- there something wrong?"

Cyrus scratches at his cheek as he replies, "I only did what any decent person would have done; I don't deserve your humble gratitude." He looks to each member of the royal family, addressing them in turn as he follows, "It is not my intention to instill a debt; if I had things my way, we'd have no reason to be enemies in the first place. The fact that the army I serve has managed to repeatedly avoid fatal conflict with you no less than three times is nothing short of a miracle."

Ryouma shades his eyes at this. "So during that time when the life of the youngest princess was in danger, you were holding back against me?"

"Perish the thought; my aim was to distract you while Lord Corrin and the others escaped. I only fought with as much strength as I needed to." He closes his eyes, angling his head towards the floor as he follows, "Were I to actually fight you to the death, I cannot rightfully claim to know the result." He smiles to himself as his mind turns to older battles. "I imagine you would be as fierce an opponent as Ren or Lord Kibagami; a pity that we cannot meet in battle on better terms."

This gets a chuckle out of Ryouma, who folds his arms and allows a smirk to trace on his lips. "Perhaps Corrin was not entirely off base when he compared the two of us. I can certainly see more of a kinship in you than I can in that Nohrian Crown Prince." He sighs, shaking his head at the thought. "Honestly, you would think Corrin mad."

Hinoka folds her arms in kind, donning a similarly displeased expression as she comments, "Never mind the Crown Prince; that purple-haired princess is just twisted."

"Unless I miss my mark, I'd dare say that Lady Camilla took a liking to you, Lady Hinoka."

"Wh- what?! Please tell me you're joking. I don't think I even want to know what her idea of affection might be." Cyrus chuckles at this, to which Hinoka frowns and replies, "You wouldn't be laughing if you could see the same person I do."

Just as Cyrus prepares to make a reply to Hinoka, a distressed order can be heard just outside the door. "Damn it, they're closing in! Execute the prisoners!" Sakura takes a step back upon hearing this, feeling her heart sink into her stomach at the thought of her family having to face their foes unarmed. Hinoka moves in front of her sister in order to shield her from what might burst through the door, though she is unsure how exactly she'll manage to meet the task.

A General kicks the door down, stepping into the room with his spear drawn. For his trouble, a powerful burst of lightning strikes him where he stands, sending him flying out of the room just as quickly as he entered. Through the crackling of the sparks the five can hear his painful cries of anguish as he seemingly perishes from the impact. The General's comrade, who happens to be a fellow General armed with a different weapon, looks to see Cyrus holding his arm forward, suggesting that he is the one responsible for his comrade's sudden demise.

Cyrus motions his fingers in preparation to snap them, but holds his position when he sees that the General is not moving from his own. "Yeah, I wouldn't make any sudden movements if I were you; I'll kill you on the spot." He glances to the side to see a gust of wind close to striking the General. Before he can deliver a comment on this, the General is knocked off balance by the spell, and then promptly takes a hammer swing to the face, which ends his life instantly.

The five grow wide-eyed at this as Charlotte and Elise step into proper view. Mozu can be seen surveying the area to keep watch over her comrades. "Cyrus! Are you alright?!"

"Capital, my love. We uh…we heard you put in work a short while ago."

Charlotte takes a moment to think about his meaning, quickly blushing and waving dismissively at the five. "Oh you must be mistaken; I could never be so brutish."

Pointing to the corpse of the General near the door, Hinoka asks, "But what about that guy?"

"Why, Lady Elise was responsible for most of that damage; I was just riding her momentum." She looks over to Elise, winking as she follows, "Is that not so, Milady?"

Elise winks in turn, though her attention is seemingly directed at Sakura. "Yep! I'm pretty strong, huh?"

Cyrus adopts a contemplative stance in response to this. "Hm, perhaps that tome I forged for you was stronger than I realize. How curious." He then raises his voice to get Mozu's attention. "Mozu! Are the others inbound?!"

"Yup, Silas is on his way with Lord Corrin now!"

He nods to this, turning his attention to the four royals. "Good, it would appear that everything went according to my plans. Our remaining task is to take out the one responsible for all this." He lets out a huff, frowning as he follows, "I am afraid I have no idea where they stored your weapons, so I can't ask you to fight alongside us; you will be in our care, that much I can assure you." He motions his arm to direct the four's attention to his comrades as he says, "I place my trust in only the finest."

Ryouma looks to him with a rather stern expression, one that is not unlike Xander's. "Pray tell, what makes you so certain that we would willingly fight alongside your army?"

"Come now, Lord Ryouma, what sort of warrior prince would pass up the opportunity to see how far his little brother has come? I am quite certain that Lord Corrin would be delighted." Glancing at Hinoka, he smirks and follows, "Just look at Lady Hinoka; she can hardly contain herself at the thought."

Hinoka blushes at this, quickly taking to waving her hands in a dismissive manner. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" Upon hearing Sakura fail to stifle a giggle, Hinoka sighs and says, "Come on, Sakura, not you too."

"We've got trouble, y'all! Two Paladins and a Strategist!"

Mozu's warning prompts Cyrus to draw the Hastebrand and take a step towards the door. "Looks like our conversation will have to be halted for a moment. Lady Elise, you and Charlotte will handle the Paladins; provide support to Mozu while I take care of the Strategist."

Tightening the grip on her tome, Elise gives a rather firm response. "Leave it to me!" Charlotte mounts Elise's steed, shortly after which the two ride off into battle.

Looking back to Takumi, Cyrus gives a soft smile as he says, "I hope you'll watch me work, Lord Takumi. They say you can learn much of a man from the way he battles."

"Don't expect my opinion to change."

"I don't give up on people that easily."


	8. Odin and Niles

_Author's Notes : This piece contains story spoilers for Conquest - Chapter 8. This one's pretty short, so expect additional entries for these two characters somewhere down the line._

 **Umbral Waltz (Odin and Niles)**

A horribly failed venture in negotiation and diplomacy with the leader of the Ice Tribe has left Corrin and his six comrades out in the cold. Opposition is inbound, with potentially many more on the way, for a soldier among the enemy unit has tasked himself with avoiding combat in favor of making haste to villages within the tribe to recruit more reinforcements. He is distressingly close to one such village at this moment, which elicits an appropriate sigh from Corrin.

"Is it truly so hard to believe that some Nohrians have good intentions? Must there be conflict?"

Surveying the landscape, Cyrus can see that the enemy's number, while imposing, is not yet overwhelming. ' _We can reach at least three of these five villages; there's one just ahead, in fact._ ' Turning to Corrin, he opts to present this information in a more favorable manner. "Lord Corrin, if we can reach these villages before Lord Kilma's soldiers, we could convince the people therein that conflict is not our intention."

Corrin nods to this, and smiles in kind. "That sounds like a good place to start. I shall inform these nearby villagers first."

"I'll lead the others towards the southwestern edge of the village. That will mean pressing ahead; will you be alright on your own?"Corrin nods again, to which he replies, "Very well; our progress shouldn't be too swift so I expect you'll catch up before long. We'll depart immediately."

En route to the frozen plains that form the central landscape, Cyrus catches glimpse of a curious sight concerning the Lancer who has recruited soldiers from the village resting on the central eastern edge of the territory. The Lancer seems to speak into some sort of gem, which then gives a momentary blue shimmer before he tosses it into the air. It disappears into the cloudy night sky above, but soon travels back down somewhere on the northwestern edge of the territory. Having witnessed this, Cyrus' left eye twitches in rage.

Having noticed this, Felicia dons a concerned expression and asks, "Is something the matter?"

"Verily; I think the Lancer just relayed information to your father via magic. We've got trouble."

Her once concerned countenance gives way to mild panic. "That's my line! What should we do?"

Donning a contemplative stance, Cyrus closes his eyes and responds, "I suspect your father will be sending another soldier down the western side of the tribe's territory to draft the two villages over there."

"That…that's pretty bad; Flora's over there, and she's armed with a Freeze Staff. She's no doubt going to try and stop us from stopping that soldier."

"What are her odds of missing?"

"Assuming she targets anyone who isn't me? Less than zero." The resulting look of incredulity that appears on Cyrus' face causes Felicia to bow in apology. "I'm sorry; I know that's not what you wanted to hear."

"Do not apologize; yeah, that's not the answer I was hoping for, but it's what I needed to hear. I can plan accordingly now, thanks to you." He looks towards the distance, where he can see three Mages preparing to intercept the army. "We'll have to dispatch those Mages before doing anything else."

"That should be pretty simple; you and I work well against Mages."

"Indeed." He calls out to the remainder of the army to garner their attention. "Alright everyone, we have a battle strategy!" Once he can see that everyone is focusing on him, he begins, "Given that the incoming enemy is comprised of Mages, we sha-"

He is then cut off by the interjection of a bombastic voice. "Hold there, tactician! Do not devise your stratagems of warfare without first adding two to your roster."

Everyone turns to face this intrusive speaker, and is graced with the sight of two individuals. One is a wizard clad in yellow and black, with a yellow tome resting in his grip. Wild platinum blond hair rests upon his head, its audacious presentation rivaled only by the expression he wears as he confidently maintains a pose while addressing the army. Elise seems pleased to see these two, and addresses the wizard in turn with a cheery greeting. "Good to see you, Odin!"

"To you as well, Lady Elise!"

At Odin's side is a man wielding a bow. Messy silver hair adorns his head, contrasting well with his darker shade of skin. A black eye patch covers his right eye, matching the dark color scheme of the rest of his attire. Among the most notable articles of this man's attire is his navy blue hooded shoulder cape. The color shade is exactly the same as the one Cyrus wears to cover his left arm, which the two seem to acknowledge with a knowing glance and nod directed at each other.

This man's mischievous eyes are matched by the tone with which he speaks. "It's a good thing we caught up with you; I was afraid the party would start without us. I'm Niles, an archer in the service of Lord Leo; at your service."

Cyrus' face lights up at this, which causes Niles to smirk and give him an expectant look. "An archer? Most fortuitous; I'd dare say that things are looking up. Well met, Niles, I am Cyrus, tactician in service to Lord Corrin and his army."

"So would you say we're all entitled to a piece of you?"

In spite of knowing full well what Niles means to imply by his statement, Cyrus simply smirks as he takes the comment in stride and replies, "I suppose you all are."

"I like this guy."

Turning to Odin, Cyrus asks, "May I ask what manner of magic you have to offer, Sir Odin?"

"You wish to hear of the mighty darkness that I wield? Following the decree of my most noble liege, I have brought with me spells of a most nefarious make." Seeing that his words have caused Cyrus' brow to furrow in a somewhat distressed manner, Odin follows, "Is there something amiss?"

"I know full well the power contained behind the umbral veil, and my Runic Eye tells me that your boasting of its mastery is well founded. We intend to suppress this rebellion, as per King Garon's orders, but Lord Corrin wishes to dispatch our foes without the need for murder and bloodshed." Looking to Odin, his face takes on a solemn countenance as he continues, "Can I count on you, Keeper of Darkness, to limit your power enough to merely baffle and incapacitate, rather than decimate and obliterate?"

Odin is so caught off guard by Cyrus' level of appreciation that he almost stumbles. Maintaining momentum, he smirks and strikes another pose. "If that is the will of Lord Corrin, I shall bend the infinite darkness to match." Motioning towards Niles, he says, "You may count on my compatriot of darkness to play his part as well. He may seem unhinged, but he knows how to keep the darkness at bay when he so desires."

Cyrus bows in reply. "You both have my gratitude."

Niles smirks at Cyrus again. "Think nothing of it; I'm more impressed with how you not only understand Odin, but can also speak his language fluently."

"In the world I'm from, there are many with his type of flair."

The two raise eyebrows to this, with Niles being the first to ask, "Your…world?"

"It's a long story; I'll explain when the battle is over. For now, we have company."

True to his word, the trio of enemy Mages is within casting distance of the army. Their sights appear to be set on Odin, who dodges two consecutive attempts at his life by way of performing an elegant spin. He retaliates with a spell fired from a basic Thunder tome, which Niles follows up on with an arrow aimed at the arm the enemy Mage uses to hold his tome. With this opening, the two opt for another attack. Odin fires yet another spell to keep the enemy from retrieving his tome, giving Niles the opportunity to deftly jump from his shoulder to fire an arrow that knocks out the target.

This maneuver lands Niles at the appropriate striking distance to engage another enemy Mage. With this superior vantage, he and Odin only require this single instance of combat to incapacitate the opposition. The final member of this Mage trio prepares his tome to retaliate, only for Felicia to charge in and toss a dagger into his shoulder. He doesn't drop his tome, allowing him to cast a simple fire spell to hit her. From the resulting explosion comes another dagger and an arrow. Though he barely avoids the arrow, the second dagger pierces his bicep, causing him to drop his tome as he cries out in pain.

The last thing he hears before the world goes dark is a battle cry from Corrin. As he leaps from the smoke of the explosion, he readies the Yato in hand and shouts, "I can help too!" He whacks the unsuspecting Mage on the side of his head using the flat end of the sword, which knocks him unconscious. ' _His allies should tend to him once we leave._ ' He turns to the rest of his army and shouts, "We're pressing ahead, everyone!"


	9. Selena

_Author's Notes : Restarted to play Conquest on Lunatic/Classic instead of Hard/Classic; Chapter 11 wrecked our existence, so here's a short entry reminding us all that sometimes the best solution is the simplest one._

 **The Simple Solution (Selena)**

En route to the Sevenfold Sanctuary, Corrin's army sets up camp for an evening of respite, deeming night hiking to be a risky venture not worth its gains. The turn rotation for night patrol duty has fallen to Selena, who is just about finished with her rounds. She stretches her arms, letting out a satisfied groan as she thinks to herself, ' _Thank the gods that there's no basement to check this time. Better go report to Lady Camilla._ ' Just as she turns around, a faint scream trails along the wind and catches her attention. Turning towards the direction from which the scream originated, she breaks into a dash, running at full speed in hopes of not being too late to stop whatever misfortune may be occurring at her destination.

Selena reaches her destination, a small clearing in a forest on the mountain. A quick survey reveals that Cyrus is here, sitting with his back against a tree as a notebook hangs limply in his grip. Selena cautiously approaches him, on alert in case there are any enemies waiting in ambush. "Cyrus, is everything alright? I heard a scream." Cyrus looks to her, failing to consider his haggard appearance and somewhat red eyes. Selena winces at this, more than a little perturbed by the sight. "Ooh, you look like Hell; were you attacked?"

Cyrus shakes his head to this, his eyes trailing down to fall upon the notebook in his grip. "It was just a nightmare."

Taking a seat beside him, Selena rests her back on the tree and lets out a sigh. Looking to Cyrus, she dons a skeptical gaze as she says, "Your nightmares must be intense if your screams can travel that far. What the Hell were you thinking, sleeping out here? We have a camp, genius." Upon asking this, her eyes shift towards the grass to see a closed folder; a simple label adorns the front, reading, 'Failed Combat Scenarios'. She picks up this folder, giving a slight wave as she asks, "What is this?"

"Every so often, just before our army arrives at an important destination, I am plagued by a series of dreams depicting an upcoming battle." He shakes his head and lets out a yawn before he continues, "The nightmares always occur first, showing me what things can and will go wrong if I make the incorrect strategic call. The dreams stop when I work out the winning strategy."

"Wait…you predict all of our battles in dreams? Why the Hell haven't you told us?!"

"Would you believe me if I did?"

She stares at him blankly before eventually replying, "Probably not, no."

"Normally, the failed sequences aren't this plentiful; I usually only have two or three short nightmares before I figure out what I'm doing wrong. That was my sixth nightmare just now. I don't know how to fix this, but I can't just let my allies die."

"You can't win a war without losses, Cyrus; no one seriously thinks that's possible."

"I do, and I'll meet any challenge to prove it. We all made it out of Dia, did we not?"

"Well, yeah, I guess we did."

"We almost lost you, though, Selena."

"You had my back, though…thanks for back then, by the way." She smirks, winking as she follows, "I can't think of too many guys who'd take a club to the face in order to save someone they only just met. I'm awesome and all, but even I wouldn't take a club to the face to protect my clone."

"You wouldn't need to since you have a shield."

"Oh, and I suppose your face is such a good substitute, huh?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Are you an idiot?!"

"Perhaps, but I hadn't a choice at the time. There were too many Hoshidans swarming to attack you, and getting hit with Seal Defense would have secured your demise." He nods to himself, fully convinced that, "Jumping in to take the hit in your place was the only option I had of saving you." He puffs out his cheek, turning away from Selena in embarrassment as he says, "That dastard had one of Hell of a swing; I'm surprised I'm not dead."

"You're a damn weirdo, Cyrus; pretty stupid too, but you're a good guy at least." She opens the folder and helps herself to reading through Cyrus' notes. Luckily, the moon looms overhead, beaming down a serviceable amount of reading light. After a few moments of looking over the failed strategies, she closes the folder and hands it over to Cyrus. "I don't like how easy it is for you to manipulate people in combat. You'd almost think our enemies are machines if they're this predictable."

"Do you have any ideas on where I'm going wrong, Selena?"

She looks to him, ready to question why he would consider asking her for strategic assistance. Her stance changes as soon as she sees the sincere look in his eyes. ' _Does it really mean that much to him?_ ' She sighs, giving in to the notion that a lazy response isn't going to be acceptable. "I don't know if I can help you with this. When I find myself lacking, I usually just drink a tonic and call it a day."

"Tonics?"

The honest look of confusion that forms Cyrus' countenance takes Selena aback. "Are you telling me you've never thought of buying tonics before?" Seeing Cyrus respond by scratching the back of his head while also casting his eyes towards the ground in shame causes Selena to sigh in exasperation. "To be fair, I guess you've never actually needed them. Well, they're pretty useful, so go buy some from the shop at the Ebon Roost before we reach the sanctuary."

"I shall owe you for this, Selena; you have my gratitude."

"You owe me, huh?" She winks at him again, this time donning a mischievous smirk on her lips. Cyrus pays this no heed, but quickly grows to regret his word choice when Selena says, "Sounds good; I could use a shopping buddy." Though she says this in a surprisingly kind and inviting manner, in her mind she is cackling like a madwoman. ' _You'll make a most useful pack mule, Cyrus; I'm already looking forward to it._ ' A previous thought returns to her; "Why are you so far away from camp? You never answered that."

"You heard how loud that scream was; I didn't want anyone else in the army to feel the need for alarm, especially if this is going to keep happening so frequently." A blush forms on his face as he asks, "Do you mind keeping this between us; at least until I feel comfortable telling everyone else?"

"So long as you serve as my shopping buddy, I'll keep any dark secrets you wanna share."

"Do you desire me as your shopping companion that badly?"

Her cheeks turn red at this, though she hides her embarrassment beneath an expression of rage. "Don't get the wrong idea! I just need someone to carry my stuff; I could choose anyone else if I wanted to!"

"Then why don't you? I only have one arm to carry your bags with, you know."

"You have magic, and I know you're not above using it." Cyrus motions to make a retort, only for Selena to place a finger on his lips and interject, "Don't even think about mentioning Odin. He's always busy keeping the veil of darkness at bay or whatever, so I'm choosing you." She then smiles deviously, making Cyrus slightly nervous. "This is a great honor, you know; you get to hang out with Lady Camilla's best retainer." She moves her finger to the side as she follows, "I'll even listen to you talk about your own world since I'm just so generous."

' _Can't she just show curiosity like normal people?_ ' He sighs to himself, resigning to his fate with a smile. "Sounds great, Selena; before you know it, we'll be shopping besties."

"Whoa there, wipe that smile off! I can't have you getting too ahead of yourself."


	10. Reina and Charlotte

**Uprising (Reina and Charlotte)**

Having only just arrived in Cheve, Corrin's army is beset by a rebel squadron led by a group known as the Chevois Knights. To make matters worse, these rebels are supported by a number of Hoshidan troops led by Prince Takumi. Two bridges looming over a flowing river separate Corrin's troops from the main opposition. Prince Takumi is waiting to strike at the opposite end of the eastern bridge; his backup consists of three heavily armored knights and a Diviner lurking amongst them. To the west is a small group of mages, whom are currently locked in combat with Corrin's army.

A tall sorceress garbed in the attire of a seasoned Hoshidan Diviner makes her way towards the group in an attempt to attack who she assumes to be an unsuspecting Odin. Her traditionally styled purple hair and bewitching appearance do very little to hide the mischievous and confident expression she wears. Nyx clicks her tongue in disappointment at the sight before jumping front of Odin to block the incoming spell that this sorceress intended to use against Odin.

This sorceress' once confident expression is deflated as she hears a powerful cry coming from the smoke caused by her spell. "Unquenchable Blood Flames!" Before she can express even a modicum of confusion, she is sent flying into the river by an explosion of lightning. As she drifts away with the current, she hears one last boast from the wizard who bested her. "Glory unyielding!" The remaining Diviners who were assisting her are subsequently sent flying into the river by this same wizard, save for one.

Upon hearing Cyrus call out to Mozu, the remaining Diviner turns his head to meet the incoming opposition. For his efforts, he is met with an arrow to the shoulder that sends him stumbling back, where he, too, falls into the river to join his allies. The last unit occupying this area is a Cavalier, who grabs the reins of his steed to alter his positioning. Just as he finishes, he is met with a punch to the face that knocks him from his horse and into the river. The last he hears, aside from his steed galloping to safety, is Cyrus' triumphant laughter.

Rejoining his comrades, Cyrus pats Odin on the shoulder as he says, "Excellent work, everyone." He then dons a conniving smirk as the runic pattern in his left eye dons a yellow shimmer. A dark chuckle escapes him before he says, "All according to keikaku."

Charlotte, one of the army's two most recent recruits, looks to him with confusion and asks, "What the Hell does that even mean?"

Mozu takes a step near Cyrus, raising a finger as she explains, "In the Hoshidan language, 'keikaku' means 'plan'."

Looking to Cyrus again, Charlotte then asks, "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"

Drawing the Hastebrand, Cyrus points his blade to the path ahead. "No time to explain, Charlotte; we must make haste to the center!" In the distance, as if on cue, a man armed with a bow and dressed as a shady individual comes into view. Though his face is mostly concealed by his red hood, his devilish smirk cannot be contained. A bag is slung on his back, and there is a certain pep to his step as he strides along his way. Cyrus' eye twitches in rage at the sight. "Oi! You there!" The ruffian stops and looks around; "Yes, you! The one with the bow and bag!"

"Kinda busy here, kid; go ask someone else to help you find your mother."

Knowing that Cyrus might be more than a little offended by that statement, Corrin takes a few steps towards his ally as he says, "Now Cyrus; he doesn't know your circumstances."

Cyrus shakes his head, seemingly unmoved by the statement. "Never mind that, Lord Corrin." Pointing to the ruffian with his sword, he continues, "I know good and well you are on your way to exploit those innocent villagers while this conflict rages."

"Well, obviously! The pickin is good!"

"Cease your advance now, lest you personally deal with us!" The ruffian bursts into laughter at this, much to Cyrus' ire. His eye twitches again as the ruffian turns to walk away and go about his nefarious business. His voice is as a defiant roar as he shouts, "You think this is a game?!" Suddenly, everyone's attention is on him; "if you will not cease your insidious plot, I will ruin you!"

The ruffian smirks at him, which leads Cyrus into preparing to make another retort before the ruffian makes a statement of his own. "Oh yeah? Let's see you get past this then."

Charlotte's eyes widen in realization of the ruffian's threat. "You wouldn't dare."

"Hey, you guys with the Chevois Knights? The Nohrian army is right over here!"

Cyrus' eye twitches once more as he tightens the grip on his weapon. "Everyone, we're taking a defensive approach; we still have some time to warn those villagers." Leading the advance with a jog, he continues, "Don't take any unnecessary risks; we all go home together." His allies voice their assent as he and Corrin take to properly leading the charge into the fray. Upon crossing the bridge, they are soon met with a group of Hoshidan warriors.

This group is much larger than what needed to be dealt with before, totaling to seven mounted units. At the helm of this group is a woman with ocean blue hair riding atop some sort of flying creature boasting decorative plumage and vibrant colors. As the creature comes into clearer view, Mozu says, "They have a Kinshi Knight; I reckon I can deal with her." Straining her vision, Mozu gets a better look at the Kinshi rider. A faded scar in the shape of an 'X' perfectly divides the two sides of her face. She currently wears a sort of sadistic smile, one that is only further accentuated by the unmistakable bloodlust in her eyes. Finding herself getting nervous, Mozu says, "Yikes, she's scary."

Mozu feels a hand rest on her shoulder, and turns around to see Cyrus smiling at her. "Worry not, Mozu; you won't be facing an opponent that fierce by yourself. I shall use myself as a decoy to give you the perfect shot."

"She's not alone, you know; those Cavaliers will swarm you!" In spite of her protests, Mozu eventually sighs and nods to Cyrus, giving a look that confirms her trust in his strategy. "I reckon you'd fight a dragon alone if we let you."

"I have done that in Erdboden, many times in fact."

Mozu then throws her arms into the air, turning to Silas as she says, "Silas, talk sense into him."

Silas shrugs, a smirk forming on his face as he says, "This is out of my field, Mozu."

Cyrus steps into the enemy's striking range with Felicia and Elise not too far away from him. Two Cavaliers are the first to rush at him, opting to assume a Dual Strike stance rather than simply attacking from two sides. In making this choice, the first Cavalier is able to land a glancing blow with his lance on Cyrus' sword arm, though his ally misses his strike entirely. As the first Cavalier rears his arm back to prep his lance for another strike, Cyrus sees an opening.

With the Runic Blade in hand, Cyrus lunges at his vulnerable opponent. The blade stabs right into the heart of the Cavalier, seemingly passing right through his armor as if it was a non-existent factor. In spite of the blade's entirety sinking into the target, there is no blood to be seen, nor can the blade of the sword be seen piercing through the Cavalier's back. Cyrus uses his forward momentum to flip over his now incapacitated opponent; he snaps his fingers, causing his sword to disappear from its current resting place. It then emerges from a portal of darkness as Cyrus swings his arm down to strike the second Cavalier.

This Cavalier's horse instinctively jumps backwards to avoid this strike, also yielding a secondary result in giving the blue-haired Kinshi Knight her opportunity to fly in and shoot an arrow at her airborne target. Cyrus meets the arrow with the flat end of his sword before landing on the ground. His eyes meet with those of the Kinshi Knight, and at once the two shoot smirks at each other.

"I like the look in your eyes, boy; I shall take great delight in watching the light fade from them."

Sheathing the Runic Blade, Cyrus elects to switch over to using the Hastebrand. "May I have the name of my bewitching opponent?"

"Certainly. I am Reina; be sure to remember it when you reach the afterlife." She is then met with a startling surprise as Cyrus suddenly appears right next to her, swinging his blade in a diagonal fashion. She blocks the strike with her bow, allowing herself to get a better look at her opponent's face. In a brief instance, she realizes that there is a key difference between what she thought her opponent was like and what he actually is. The realization causes her to chuckle maliciously. "I was wrong about you; your eyes are that of a feral beast, rather than a warrior." Her grin grows just a bit wider as she follows, "You will make for an even more satisfying kill."

Cyrus, though ready to make a reply, finds his attention caught by the ruffian from before. This ruffian, fully intent on robbing the nearby village, is dangerously close to its entrance. Pushing away from Reina, Cyrus scans the battlefield to judge the army's best course of action. "Lady Elise, I need you to hit the ruffian with the Freeze Staff! It's a long shot, but you can make it!" Jumping out the way of an incoming Cavalier, he follows, "Everyone else, we're taking care of as many enemy units as possible; form an unbreakable bastion to protect Mozu and Lady Elise!"

True to Cyrus' claim, Elise finds herself struggling to focus enough to send the effects of her staff to the intended target. In spite of this, her cast is successful, immobilizing the ruffian before he can enter the village. Upon realizing that her attack was successful, Elise's face brightens to form an elated expression as she cheers in triumph. Cyrus cheers in kind, which turns out to be a mistake that allows a Cavalier to strike him with the swing of his lance, which sends him rolling along the ground.

As he looks up, he can see that a nearby ally of the Cavalier who struck him has already readied his lance for a killing strike. Cyrus realizes he has no chance of blocking or dodging this attack, and grits his teeth as he internally curses his own carelessness. To his surprise, Charlotte comes to his aid, delivering a critical jump strike to the unsuspecting Cavalier. The rider is knocked from his steed, which then flees in panic. Though he is conscious, he opts to make a retreat with Reina and the rest of his defeated comrades.

Charlotte turns to Cyrus and helps him to his feet. Before her comrade can put forth a word of gratitude, she flicks a finger to his nose, catching him off guard and eliciting a sound not dissimilar to the chirp of a small bird. Charlotte snickers at this before saying, "That's for being reckless; you gave that Mozu girl quite a fright just now…and that is to say nothing of Lord Corrin. I thought his heart was gonna leap right out of his chest." She then takes to poking Cyrus in the chest, shooting a telling glare to his face as she says, "You need to watch yourself out there; I'll take everyone for their word on you being a trustworthy tactician, but don't expect me to follow plans that are as crazy as that last one." Cyrus smirks at her, which causes her glare to intensify; "Did I say something funny?"

"No, not at all; my apologies for worrying you and the others." Though he can see that Charlotte is about to retort, likely to refute his claim that she was worried, he continues, "Rest assured that my crazier strategies only ever use me as the focal point."

"That's not much better." She sighs, shaking her head before turning to face her approaching allies. "You're gonna be a pain in the butt; I can tell." Though she can't see Cyrus' face at present, she is fully aware of the smile he currently wears. Try as she might to grimace, she can only grin as she follows, "I'm gonna grow to hate that smile of yours."

"Oh? Challenge accepted; I look forward to proving you wrong, Charlotte."

"Now you should know it's not smart to underestimate me."


	11. Odin and Laslow

_Author's Notes : I must say - I was not expecting the rather short entry featuring Odin and Niles to be as popular as it appears to be. I know not what I specifically did to make it enjoyable, assuming I did anything at all, but I hope to provide more in the future._

 **Interlude (Odin and Laslow)**

A peaceful moment falls upon the Ebon Roost as the orange of twilight bathes the landscape in its hue. Having just finished training together, Cyrus, Odin, and Laslow currently make way for the recently upgraded hot springs for a relaxing spell of rejuvenation. Upon arrival, the trio discards their attire to don swim trunks. Cyrus, in an act of shyness, also elects to grab a towel to cover what remains of his left arm. Though privy to this action, Odin and Laslow do not call attention to it. The three take their seats in the water closest to the edge of the pool, and remain there in silence for a moment, content with silently allowing their stress and exhaustion to fade.

Odin is the first to break the silence; "Ah, to describe the splendor of a bath; for once, words elude me." At this moment, a splash can be heard in the distance, one that sounds as if it was made in surprise. Odin looks to his right to find that Laslow and Cyrus likewise share in his momentary confusion. Looking directly ahead, Odin strains his eyes to discern what may be just beyond his vision, but is ultimately left to speculate, for the steam of the hot spring is much too thick to see anything. "Is someone there; lurking within the obscurity of the aquatic fog?"

A shiver trails down Odin's spine as Nyx's voice sounds through the area. "Odin, I get that we're friends now, but this doesn't mean you get to bathe with me."

Odin hangs his head low, shaking it as he says, "Oh cruel hand of fate; why have you forsaken the Keeper and his companions on this day?"

The surprise heightens as Felicia's voice sounds through the steam. "You brought friends? Who's with you?" Laslow, in spite of his desire to keep quiet, cannot help but produce a shocked sound upon realizing he is in Felicia's presence. The woman in question seems to take this in stride, for her voice sounds pleasantly calm as she says, "Hi, Laslow."

"U- Um, well…hi, Felicia…"

Cyrus smiles at this, making his presence known as he says, "It was certainly a long and arduous day, Felicia; I bid you a good evening as well, Lady Nyx."

Felicia smiles and nods at the direction Cyrus' voice sounded from and replies, "Hey, Cyrus; yeah, you're telling me. I'm beat."

Knowing that the male trio can't see her, Nyx takes the moment to stretch, letting out a satisfied groan as she does so. "You young ones have it easy."

Next to Nyx, who has been silent this entire time, is Charlotte, who currently wears a frown on her face. She looks to her two companions and shakes her head before looking towards the direction from which Cyrus' voice came. "You're awfully calm for a guy who just got caught peeking on a trio of women."

"Peeking? I had no such intentions, miss, nor have I even seen anything." It then dawns on him that he is talking to Charlotte, which causes his face to turn red and his eyes to widen in a mixture of shock and fear. "Wait…Charlotte?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh dear…" Odin and Laslow look to see Cyrus' now pale face. When he realizes he has his allies' attention, he motions his head to silently tell them to get out of the bath and make a retreat. He covers up for what little sound they make by saying, "I question how you got here before me; you were just at the sapphire mines."

Charlotte lets out an arrogant huff, crossing her arms as she replies, "Still underestimating me, huh?" She then sighs and shakes her head. "Some just never learn."

"No, no, I've learned my lesson; you remember how you said I'd look nice in that pair of trunks you saw on our date? Well…you were right, so I went back and bought 'em."

Charlotte blushes at the thought, narrowing her eyes as she asks, "Are you wearing them right now?"

"Yes, actually; they are quite comfortable."

"Hold for a moment; I'll come to you."

"Actually, I was thinking it was about time I absconded; a fellow keeper of the darkness should never rest."

Cyrus motions to get out of the water, only to hear Charlotte's advance quicken in pace. Though he cannot see the expression she wears, he knows full well that it is terrifying in its appearance, and perfectly contrasts with the sweet tone of her voice as she says, "Stay right there." It is at this moment Cyrus dashes out of the hot spring, managing to grab all of his clothes on the way out. Charlotte clicks her tongue in frustration at this. "Damn it! That jerk teases me and then runs off? I'm gonna deck him!"

Nyx stifles a giggle at her friend's fury. "If you land the hit, you might not have a boyfriend anymore."

"Nonsense; he's made of tougher stuff than that." She grins, turning her attention to Felicia as she follows, "Besides, even if it comes to that, Felicia can heal him."

"You can count on me."

A week after this incident finds the male trio travelling together on an adventure for ore. Odin and Laslow both currently possess two high quality cuts of amethyst, which are carefully stored away with their belongings; Cyrus, however, carries nothing. The three happen upon what appears to be an abandoned temple, to which Odin smiles, barely able to contain his excitement.

Looking the temple over, Laslow can discern that the structure is in respectable condition, though this also makes it difficult to determine the construct's age. "Cyrus, do you truly expect to find a cut of emerald in there?"

"Indeed I do; Niles' information network has yet to lead me astray." Motioning to both Laslow and Odin, he continues, "Why, it was he who helped me locate the amethyst mine we just visited. I must say, we are quite fortunate that we already have the necessary metals waiting for us back at the Ebon Roost."

"Tell me, my umbral friend; is this the common routine of a goldsmith?"

"Not at all, no; your typical goldsmith has a supplier for both gems and metallic ore. I am one of the odd ones, preferring to procure my own base materials. I wish for only the finest for my customers. Fashioning the perfect accessory requires an understanding of the recipient, the presenter, and the materials you are using for your craft."

Laslow chuckles at this. "I admire your dedication; you also have my thanks; Odin and I really appreciate this."

Cyrus lets out a laugh, smiling as he says, "Think nothing of it; I was already planning to fashion a ring for my own proposal, so you couldn't have asked at a better time."

The three step into the temple, and are soon graced with the beautiful sight of what must be its main hall. Various windows of stained glass depict what appear to be heroes of an age past. The light of the late morning shines through these windows, bathing the interior in a warm and colorful glow. From here, the temple branches off into a few different paths. Using his Runic Eye to detect any traces of crystalline ore, Cyrus determines that the corridor directly across from the entrance is the path he and his friends must take.

Traversing this path eventually leads to a cave complex, where a green shimmer awaits at its end. The shimmer belongs to a collection of raw emerald ore, which brings a smile to Cyrus' face. Curiously, two knights stand watch at opposite ends of the ore deposit; upon closer inspection, both knights are actually empty suits that have been placed here, likely as decoration. Their armor and drawn swords are real, and seem to be well maintained.

Laslow adopts a contemplative stance upon realizing this. "Do you suppose this temple is still in use? There's no reason these suits of armor should look this good." Pointing to the magnificent capes adorning these two knights, he follows, "Even their capes are in pristine condition."

Odin and Cyrus exchange a momentary glance before the former says, "Curious indeed, but I do not sense anything amiss. There is not even a modicum of the usual encroaching darkness, which is odd in itself." Cyrus takes this as his cue to mine a suitable cut of emerald ore, a task he executes fairly quickly. As he stores the cut with his belongings, Odin's attention is drawn to the entrance to this location. "My friends, it would appear we have company."

Standing before the trio is a man garbed in intricate ritualistic robes befitting a practitioner of the dark arts, likely of an even more nefarious make than Odin's. In his hand is a purple tome bearing no visible markings to betray its purpose. The man says nothing, instead donning a wicked grin as the tome in his hand glows. When the glow fades, so too does the tome's bearer. The trio exchanges confused glances before realizing that they can feel the presence of more unfamiliar beings in the room with them.

They turn around, distancing themselves as they realize the presence they feel is emanating from the empty suits of armor. A faint purple glow pulsates from the region of the helm where the knights' eyes would be; the members of the duo brandish their swords, raising their shields in preparation for combat. Knowing that there may yet be enemies en route to lock them in a pincer attack, the trio motions into a retreat. They return to the main hall of the temple, and exhale a collective sigh of relief upon finding that the spacious room is empty.

The suits of armor are still in pursuit, but are far enough away to give the trio time to consider its next course of action. Laslow suggests, "We should make a retreat; we got what we came for."

Cyrus nods to this. "That sorcerer may have more in store for us if we stick around too long."

Odin takes a moment to chant an incantation, which soon leads to him motioning his hand to the path that leads to where the emerald ore was located. In motioning his hand, he causes a thick barricade of ice to cover the path. "That should stave off our armored miscreants." He smirks, following, "Any visitors who arrive in our absence should be spared their supernatural wrath as well." He then performs a dramatic turn, directing his focus to the temple's entrance as his cape billows from the gesture. "Come, my comrades; let us depart."


	12. Ophelia and Nyx

**The Weight of the Chosen (Ophelia and Nyx)**

A recent visit to a remote village on the outskirts of Hoshido has granted the Ebon Roost a boon in the form of a cauldron. Said cauldron currently sits within the center of a formerly empty shed that has now been fashioned into a proper workshop. Science equipment lines the closed shelves, and the previous scent of wood and musty air has been thoroughly replaced with the sterilized scent befitting a laboratory. Cyrus and Ophelia, daughter to Odin and Nyx, are at work in this workshop, garbed in white lab coats and protective goggles. Ophelia, at present, takes measurements of several phials filled with liquids of varying colors. Cyrus busies himself with the task of laying out a slew of materials onto a long counter; samples of herbs, white short-stretch bandages, and two Florence Flasks – one filled with a shimmering white liquid, the other with a faintly-glowing purple liquid.

With a single nod, Cyrus turns to Ophelia. "The ingredients are prepared."

Ophelia walks over to him, carrying the rack of phials. "Are we to use these phials as catalysts?" He nods to her. "Will their differences not cause a neutralization effect?"

"Not quite. By setting each of those six at specific points within the cauldron, we effectively create a localized magic circle within the cauldron itself."

She smiles at the thought. "Then our collection of reagents will be as a conduit for illustrious potential." Looking down at the phials, she follows, "I shall dub these…'Alters of the Spectrum'." Cyrus pulls out a notebook, dropping a comment that the name Ophelia has thought up is a good one. She giggles at this. "Your praise brings hope to this Luminary Maiden; it will be quite some time before I can match the mystic vocabulary of my father, but if you, the Advisor of Shadows, deem my efforts worthy, then surely my progress must be moving along."

More prep work is needed before their experiment can begin. The six phials are each emptied at specific points of the cauldron's edges to leave traces of isolated dots of color corresponding to what once filled the phial. The dots each comprise the corner of a hexagon. Red and blue lie next to each other at the top, representing Fire and Water; green and yellow are beside each other at the bottom, representing Wind and Earth; white rests on the far left side with purple on the far right – they represent Light and Darkness. A sample of thorny ginseng is placed into the center of this hexagon, sinking to the bottom of the cauldron as it disappears beneath the solution.

In a few short moments, the cauldron emits a momentary glow. Cyrus nods to this, noting that the catalyst is properly set. Two more samples of thorny ginseng are placed into the cauldron's center, though there is space allotted between the two; this is done to make room for two rolls of short-stretch bandages, which are placed within as well. The solution is mixed in a clockwise fashion for five minutes before the mixing staff is turned over to Ophelia; she then mixes the solution in a counter-clockwise fashion for the same duration of time. This done, Ophelia grabs hold of the flask containing the white solution while Cyrus grabs the flask holding the purple solution.

The two stand at opposite ends of the cauldron. With a silent nod, the two tip the flasks they hold to begin pouring their contents into the cauldron. As they do so, the two circle around the cauldron in a clockwise manner, stopping as they reach the opposing starting point. Whatever solution remains within the flasks is poured into the cauldron's center before Cyrus takes up the mixing staff to stir the solution again. After three minutes, he snaps his fingers to increase the intensity of the flame, and then turns the mixing staff over to Ophelia. Another three minutes pass before the cauldron emits a glow, marking the completion of the synthesis.

Cyrus reaches into the cauldron's center to pull out a single large roll of short-stretch bandages, suggesting the two rolls placed within have fused together. Curiously, the roll retains its white coloration in spite of being mixed within a solution of varying colors. Cyrus inhales, exhaling deeply to prepare himself for the next step. "Grab your mask, Ophelia."

She complies, adorning her face with a standard-issue air filtration mask. "So why did we need alchemy to make these? We have no shortage of stock."

"The filtration mask you wear has been modified to keep the element of darkness at bay." Ophelia motions to inquire further, but is interrupted by a knock at the door. Cyrus motions to answer it, opening the door to reveal that the guest is Nyx. "Ah, good morning to you, mother of the Luminary Maiden."

Nyx sighs at this. "Don't you start calling me that, too." Though she wishes to chastise Cyrus with this next statement, she can't help but smile as she says it. "Odin has taken to calling me the 'Nurturer of the Cosmos'." Cyrus chuckles at this, noting Ophelia's status as a star. "You three are impossible." She looks around to see that the workshop is clearly in use, and that her daughter is wearing a filtration mask. "Did I interrupt a ritual of some sort?" Cyrus wordlessly hands her a filtration mask, and then steps away to close the door. Nyx elects to grab a spare lab coat, as well as a pair of protective goggles. "You didn't strike me as the type to conscript passerby as assistants, Cyrus."

"Have no fear, Nyx, for you won't need to interact with actual equipment. The synthesis is complete."

"Then why hand me the mask?"

"In the time I've spent within this world of yours, I've noticed some key differences in how magic works here in comparison to how it functions in Erdboden." Nyx makes no motion to reply, but her expectant expression cues Cyrus to continue. "In Erdboden, spell casters make use of a spell known as 'Resonance' in order to make it possible to cast spells with areas of effect without worrying about damaging our allies." He pulls out a notebook, flipping it open to a page more than half-way in. "No such spell exists in this world, but AoE magic exists all the same."

Nyx nods in turn. "This is true. We must take great care in the spells we conjure, lest we damage our allies and ourselves. Magic is inherently neutral; it will even damage its user if not properly handled."

"According to Uncle Cyrus, the element of Darkness is notably different from how it functions in his realm as well." She looks to the man in question as she follows, "He's been running tests since before I was born."

"Indeed. The darkness is notably more potent in this world; I once thought this was just an inherently bolstering factor of Nohr, but I feel no decrease in efficacy now that we are deep within Hoshidan territory." He nods to himself as he briefly scans his notes. "Forsooth, the element is naturally stronger in this world, and to a concerning degree."

"Why is that, Uncle?"

"I've had assistance from both Lord Leo and Odin with this matter. Whenever I cast a spell tied to the element of Darkness, no matter how basic, the immediate area is blanketed in a powerful miasma. I am unaffected since I naturally absorb the element, but those around me, friend or foe, are rendered almost incapable of acting upon their own power."

Ophelia's eyes widen at the explanation. "It is as if a withering wave exudes from your form, crippling targets in reach without discrimination." She then thinks on the items she and Cyrus have synthesized today. "Are the masks an attempt to circumvent the absence of Resonance?"

He shakes his head, smiling as he says, "A clever idea, to be true, but the masks are not powerful enough for that."

Folding her arms, Nyx says, "You'd need to fashion a collection of accessories to nullify the darkness entirely; we're short on materials for such an endeavor."

A sigh escapes Cyrus. "Can't argue against that. You see, my star-bound niece, while the masks you and your mother wear cannot handle high-level dark magic, they can temporarily leave you unaffected." Holding up the roll of short-stretch bandages, he says, "These have the power to contain the darkness. I needed an assistant to help me with the synthesis, and I'd feel bad asking you to leave just before you could see what we were working towards." He sets the bandages onto the nearby counter before grabbing hold of what remains of his left arm. After taking a deep breath, he exhales, channeling aether into his left arm. This has the effect of forming a replacement comprised of dark magic.

The arm is notably stable, but the workshop has, in turn, quickly filled up with a powerful miasma. Nyx and Ophelia feel no adverse effects as a result of the masks they wear, but do note that the darkness is slowly but surely overtaking the masks' properties. Cyrus takes up the bandages once more, partially unraveling them before they begin to unravel and wrap themselves around his newly formed left arm. A few seconds pass before his arm is completely covered; the darkness is contained within, leaving nothing to supply the miasma within the workshop. When the miasma disperses, Ophelia and Nyx remove their filtration masks, noting that, despite the presence of Cyrus' left arm, they feel no adverse effects.

Ophelia smiles at the results, clapping her hands together. "Your experiment was a success, Uncle Cyrus! I never expected you to reclaim your arm in such a manner."

Nyx looks to the man's arm, nodding to herself as she says, "You created sealing bandages. How resourceful." Cyrus makes a few gestures with his new arm, testing its functions. "Any side effects? Those bandages house light magic, do they not?"

"They do, but I feel no pain or discomfort." He nods, clenching his left fist. "Good, now I'll be of more use to the army." He looks to his companions, a smirk fixing upon his countenance. "Come, my mad compatriots; let us strike the pose of victory!" Nyx and Ophelia line up on either side of him, turning their backs to the door. Though reluctant, and all too willing to sigh, Nyx joins in. She and Ophelia pivot on the heels of their feet to face the door, crossing their arms in such a way as to obscure their faces save for their eyes. In a single motion, Cyrus pivots in turn, but not without first tossing some sort of blue tablet into the cauldron. He turns to strike the same pose as his companions, letting out a laugh befitting a mad scientist in turn. Nyx and Ophelia follow, though the former does so with notably less vigor.

A moment passes before the cauldron shimmers and triggers a blue powdery explosion. The three maintain their poses for a few additional moments before Nyx breaks formation. She returns her lab coat to its place in the wardrobe before heaving a sigh. ' _I fear I shall never understand my new family._ ' She turns to see her two companions engaged in a conversation she can't quite make out. Smiles are on their faces, bringing one to hers in turn. She scoffs, though at nothing in particular. "Maybe it's better that way."

Ophelia steps over. "You're looking in high spirits, mother; have the stars granted you favor?"

A chuckle escapes her as she replies, "You could say that. Being a Chosen One affords me a number of perks."

"How right you are." Looking to Cyrus, she asks, "Uncle, might you be a Chosen One as well? I admit that I have always been curious…" Cyrus adopts a contemplative stance to consider the answer, soon shaking his head, much to Ophelia's surprise. "Are you certain? But…the stories father told me…"

"While it is true that I was relevant to a prophecy back home in Erdboden, that has no meaning here. As far as your world is concerned, I am just another man living his life." Ophelia shakes her head at the notion. "You disagree?"

"It goes without saying. No one who entered this world as you did could be considered ordinary. And your gift for strategy; I have only traveled with everyone for a short time, but even I can see how you control the flow; why, it is as if you were bestowed with the Fair Finger of Fate!"

' _Should I tell her about the dreams that give me advance warning of the negative outcomes?_ ' Seeing the elated expression of his niece deters the idea. ' _That would be ill-advised._ ' He looks to Nyx, silently asking for some assistance, only to be answered with an awkward chuckle and a shrug. ' _I don't know what I expected._ ' Returning his focus to Ophelia, he says, "Being ordinary isn't so bad, my dear niece; I'd dare say it is quite liberating."

"Liberating? I do not understand." The look on Cyrus' countenance suggests that he isn't spinning lies, which only adds to the young woman's confusion. "To be robbed of your destiny upon crossing into another plane; to find your once distinguished and chosen stature wrenched away, and yourself reduced to a normal being in turn…Uncle, what cruel twist could be more despair-inducing?" His warm smile remains unchanged. "How can you be so content?"

Nyx shakes her head at her daughter's growing frustration. "Ophelia, dear, you do not understand your uncle's circumstances." When Ophelia grants her mother her attention, Nyx follows, "Grand destinies are not created equal; for every grand hero chosen to save the world, there must be a chosen evil for that hero to combat."

Ophelia nods to this. "Yes, of course; I understand that much, mother. What does that have to do with Uncle Cyrus? He is a great hero, one capable of standing alongside both you and father." She turns to Cyrus as she asks, "That was your destiny back home, yes?" The shift to convey a guilty expression, coupled with how Cyrus briefly breaks eye contact to look away from her, leaves Ophelia quite concerned. "Uncle?"

The man heaves a sigh before running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Erdboden's prophecy was laid bare, but left room for interpretation." He pauses for a moment, carefully choosing how he wishes to explain this. "The interpretations of the majority led to me being perceived as the great evil posing a threat to the world."

To no one's surprise, Ophelia recoils at this. "That cannot be, nay, that should not be."

"Aye, but it is. My destiny was grand indeed; by my blade, a god was felled, and the world saved from the madness it brought in turn. However, my actions were done whilst under the spotlight of the villain." He shakes his head. "Despite my best efforts, I eventually gave the masses the monster they convinced themselves existed." Ophelia tilts her head at this; she looks to her mother for an explanation, but is surprised to find that Nyx is confused in kind. "If things go my way, I won't have to make use of that aspect of myself in this world…but if I must, you can expect to see it at the war's end."

"Have you shared this with anyone, Cyrus?" He shakes his head. "Not even Charlotte? What of Lord Corrin?"

He shakes his head once more. "The secret I keep is my trump card, one that I am preserving to counter whatever final insidious plot Iago has in store for when we seize the Hoshidan capital." A sigh escapes his lips as his eyes suggest hesitation and regret. "To be honest, I should have made use of it upon learning of King Garon's true colors. I've refrained from taking action for this long out of respect for Lord Corrin's wishes, and perhaps Lord Xander's as well."

Ophelia tries to think on the matters being discussed, but grows more consciously aware of how many details she is not privy to. "Should we try to convince Lord Corrin? It's not too late."

"This is the path he has chosen; the way this world is to be altered is…not for me to decide; I haven't that right." He folds his arms, a stern expression forming his countenance as he follows, "I'll fight to prevent this world's destruction without hesitation, even if the gods themselves should become my enemy. To change the world's structure, however? That is a right reserved for those who naturally exist here."

"Uncle. One day, would you tell me about what you experienced in your world? I never considered the thought that destiny could be distributed in such a manner." She pauses, looking to the floor for a brief moment. Returning her gaze to Cyrus, she follows, "This maiden has much more to learn before she can be a Chosen One." Cyrus chuckles at this, to which she puffs out a cheek. "Surely you do not find my resolve humorous? I am quite serious! Why, the dusk threatens to surge forth from my being in response to my newfound strength!"

Despite his efforts to dismiss her claims, Cyrus continues to snicker. "My apologies, Ophelia; I am not mocking you by any stretch. You are already a Chosen One."

"Wha- I am?"

Cyrus chuckles again. "You didn't notice? You are brimming with limitless potential, Ophelia. Further still, you serve as the final lock upon the power of your parents."

Her eyes widen at the thought, prompting her to look at Nyx for confirmation. "It's true, my daughter. Before you were born, Odin and I had reached the apex of our potential." She chuckles, folding her arms as he assumes a haughty bearing. "Your birth made me realize that the heights I had settled for were paltry; my dearest child was destined for greatness, so of course I should stand to give her a proper example to follow."

Cyrus smirks. "She amassed new power because she wanted to protect you."

Nyx's proud expression shifts as she shoots a glare at Cyrus. "Stop saying such unnecessary things, Cyrus."

Ophelia smiles all the same. "Rest easy, mother; I will ever strive to be worthy of your expectations. After all," she spins in place before striking the same pose she shared with Cyrus and Nyx upon completing their synthesis; "I am Ophelia Dusk, the Luminary Maiden!" She then gives her mad scientist laugh.


	13. Mozu

**On the Hunt (Mozu)**

Corrin's army has returned to advancing upon the Hoshidan capital; the troops have set up camp near the recently conquered Fort Jinya. Sakura, the youngest of the Hoshidan Royal Family, put forth an effort to defend the fort alongside Yukimura, the head tactician of Hoshido; despite her efforts, she was met with defeat. Rather than put her to death as Iago so fervently pressed, Corrin elected to take her as a prisoner. Under the watchful eye of Niles, further harm has yet to befall her, though her spirit is notably in shambles. Cyrus and Camilla both share in Corrin's concern for the young princess, but neither has spare time to tend to her. Elise has taken up the task in their place.

At present, Cyrus is out in the forests of Hoshido. He stands alongside Mozu, both of whom are armed with bows. Their venture's purpose lies with procuring food for the troops; Cyrus has brought with him some sort of large rectangular box sporting an icy blue base and a white top. As far as Mozu can tell, the box was brought along to store the sizable haul of fish the two reeled in. Wheels rest at the bottom of the box; there is also a handle attached to allow one to pull the box along the path, which Cyrus is also making use of. To her surprise, the wheels do not squeak, allowing the box to roll along its course in silence. A black gemstone is laid into the white lid, though Mozu assumes this is purely for decoration.

"Hey, um…" Cyrus looks to her, giving a silent but expectant expression. "Where did you get that box from? I reckon I've never seen it at camp…or the Roost."

He looks back to the box before turning his attention back to her. "I made this using alchemy."

"Really? So does it do something special?"

He nods. "This item is known as a 'Frigid Preserver', though everyone in Erdboden has just taken to calling it a cooler. As the name suggests, it is an item that allows you to maintain lower temperatures for whatever is placed inside."

"Wow, that's mighty helpful. How does it work?"

"Prototypes required the use of ice cubes to facilitate the box's functions. Next came a special type of gel that remained cold for longer periods than ice, but would ultimately lose efficacy all the same." He folds his arms, stopping in place as a smile forms on his face. "Someone eventually suggested employing ice magic. So long as aether can be provided, you can reliably maintain your lower temperatures more consistently."

Mozu's expression suggests she's enthralled by the explanation. "That's incredible! You scholar types sure are something else. All I can do is tell you a good crop rotation."

Cyrus shakes his head at the notion. "You belittle your own hunting skills, Mozu. A farmer is no less important than a scientist. Without you, I wouldn't be alive long enough to make my big discoveries."

Mozu pauses at this for a moment. She arches an eyebrow as she asks, "Can't you ignore food and just absorb aether? I reckon you only need to drink fluids every now and again." Cyrus gives her a blank stare for what feels like an eternity. "D- Gosh, Cyrus; did I say somethin' strange?"

"…you weren't supposed to remember that fact about me." He shakes his head before crouching down to open the cooler. He takes a moment to study the haul, making sure nothing is amiss. "This should be fine." Turning to face Mozu, he asks, "Do you wish to return to that stream and reel in some more?"

"Nah, we should be fine. We still need to clean and prep 'em, you know?"

"Ah, no need to worry on that front." She tilts her head at him, curious as to his meaning. "I planned to send this back once our haul was satisfactory." Mozu takes the moment to look around, audibly wondering if someone else accompanied the two without her realizing. Pointing to the gemstone, Cyrus says, "This stone here will allow me to use dark magic to warp the cooler back to camp. Part of the reason I wanted to depart so early is because I wanted to go hunting."

"That explains why we have our bows; I figured we'd switch to game hunting if nothing was biting." She looks at the bow on his back, as well as the quiver resting behind his waist. ' _The bow and arrows were made with alchemy too from what I was told._ ' She points at the quiver, calling attention to the myriad of colored arrows resting within. Each arrow seems to be made of glass or some other sort of translucent material. Within them, however, are liquids of singular colors. Among the selection are red, blue, green, yellow, and purple. ' _Five of the six elements from his world, I think._ ' She asks, "So, what kind of sciencey arrows are those?"

"Ah, these are the trade secret recipe of House Wayland, a notable noble house in the Kingdom of Bahador." He pulls out a blue arrow, granting Mozu a better look at it. He explains that, "Magic is as detectible a source as poison. Aetherial arrows aren't affected by the winds or deviation; they always fly true."

"That sounds really helpful. An ice arrow could stop most anything in its tracks."

Cyrus nods to this, a smile on his face. "Just so, Mozu. The Wayland family is known for producing capable archers; Lord Frederick, a close ally of mine, is the current heir to the family, and one of the best I've yet seen." He pauses for a moment before returning to the arrows. "These arrows, among other reasons, were developed to counter means of aether detection."

Mozu takes a moment to think on this before her face lights up. "I think I get it. Unlike a regular arrow, magic types can be sensed the moment they are nocked, which would ruin your shot no matter how straight it'll fly." Cyrus nods. "So storing the magic in that glass arrow keeps it from being detected?" Cyrus nods again. "But then you're back to square one, ain't ya? Won't that glass arrow suffer the winds?"

This time, Cyrus shakes his head in response. "They do not, though I cannot explain how this is possible. I was merely given the recipe; the nuances of the product's functions were only disclosed in so far as the head of House Wayland deemed necessary."

"How'd you get the trade secret anyway?"

"I synthesized a powerful, but dangerous-to-make elixir to cure his daughter's illness. Lady Sophia was afflicted by the toxins of a Manticore. I…required these arrows to better serve my liege."

"To protect her from the shadows, yeah? And…maybe to go on assassinations, too?" Cyrus falls silent, a telling answer all its own. "It's OK, Cyrus; that's just what happens when you get involved with royalty. I mean, look at me. I was just a farm girl and now I'm as much a soldier as Charlotte." She looks to him as she shakes her head. "I'm not tryin' to say what you do is bad; I know as well as anyone that you're a good guy. Weren't you the one who made a big deal out of savin' me when you found my village?" He stumbles on his reply, though Mozu knows quite well that he's trying to deny it. "You're a terrible liar."

"Yeah…yeah, I am." A silence befalls the two. As it lingers, Cyrus' attention falls to the cooler; after a moment of contemplation, he snaps his fingers, causing the box to warp away from this location. Looking back to Mozu, he says, "I…kind of panicked when I saw you in danger." She tilts her head at him, but makes no effort to inquire further. "I know what you've been through; watching your family die, watching your home be destroyed before you with no means to stop what's occurring." A pained expression plagues his countenance. "We were too late to save the village, much like the emergency crew was too late to save my family…but we saved you. I- We-" His voice breaks as he turns away from her. Mozu takes a hesitant step forward, but relents when Cyrus quickly turns back. His composure isn't at its usual level, but he's put together enough to finish his statement. "We weren't too late in the end; I'd never forgive myself if I let you die that day, Mozu."

Mozu is left at a loss for words, capable of only staring at Cyrus with an expression mixed with concern and gratitude. "Charlotte was being serious when she said that was eating at ya." She looks to the forest around her in an effort to find the words to say next. "I'm ever grateful, ya know?" She presses her fingers together, her face flushed with embarrassment as she follows, "I admit I thought you were kinda scary at first; you fought like a feral beast backed into a corner…you still do." She shakes her head. "No, it's more than that. You're like a feral beast at first glance, but you're in full control; your movements are wild, but nothin' is wasted with you."

Rubbing the back of his head, Cyrus can only stare at the grass below. "I can't deny any of that."

"You fight as if the wo- nah, the whole dang universe is riding on your win; I'm gonna ask you about that one day, but right now…I'm afraid of your answer." She smiles, replacing Cyrus' expression with confusion. "I don't understand a whole lot, but I do know how much you care about me; no matter how scary your answer will be, it ain't gonna change nothin'."

"How can you be so certain? An entire country was convinced I was a monster long before I gave them the excuse they were looking for."

"The people in that country wouldn't know their butts from their elbows." She folds her arms, visibly furious to the point of trembling. "Their opinion of you is worth less than unfertile soil; I reckon a brain-dead squirrel has better sense than the lot of 'em put together." She steps over and grabs his hand. "Come on, we're goin' on a hunt; I wanna get back to camp so we can eat and forget about those jerks."

She grants no room for negotiation, pulling Cyrus along without waiting for his response. The man in question can only chuckle at this. "Thank you, Mozu…your words mean more than you realize."

No longer encumbered by the cooler, the duo is free to survey the landscape. They undertake the initial task of locating tracks left behind by their quarry; Mozu is the one to accomplish this. Taking a knee, she studies a collection of tracks left behind by a group of animals. The tracks lead deeper into the forest, with any further evidence of the trail being obscured by underbrush, fallen leaves, and fallen tree branches. "This trail isn't exactly fresh, but it looks recent enough."

Cyrus takes a knee beside her, brushing his right hand against a blade of grass. The blade is notably free of dew, but it isn't because of the morning sun beaming down upon it. He looks ahead to the thicket beyond. "Our quarry is no stranger to hunters." He looks to Mozu as he follows, "Judging from these tracks, we're following a herd of doe numbering no more than five. The herd moves with purpose, even going so far as to obscure its own trail."

"Ooh, so we're in for a challenge. How many are we looking to take?"

"Two should suffice; we'll locate the doe and assign our primary and secondary targets from there." Mozu nods to this before taking point to lead the search. The pair disappears into the thicket, moving in the shadows provided by the countless trees. Half an hour passes before a significant lead is found. This lead arrives in the form of a small clearing where many blueberries litter the grass. Cyrus walks over to pick up one of these berries to study it, soon realizing that, "This one isn't ripe."

Mozu elects to study a few more. "Most of these aren't. The group must have passed by looking for a snack." She looks to him as she says, "I reckon they're gonna look for a water source next; can you sense anything?"

He takes in a deep breath in an effort to gauge the air around him. As he exhales, he turns his head to the east. "The scent of a stream is on the wind."

Mozu takes a whiff of the air in turn, nodding as she says, "You're right. The wind is blowing from the east, so we should head that way." The stream they seek is not far away; more importantly, the herd of doe they hunt is here as well. The pair is a considerable distance away from the mark, allowing a moment to devise a plan. Each hiding behind a large tree, Mozu and Cyrus study the doe from different angles. After a minute of study, their sights fall to the doe in the center of the group. Her frame is rectangular in its structure, with her head being longer than the others while sporting a slim bottle-like visage. "I reckon that's our dominant."

Gesturing towards a doe that is a short distance away from the others, Cyrus says, "That one is serving as a lookout; if the leader fails to take notice of danger, it's up to her to notify the others." He nods to himself. "She'll be our second, Mozu."

"Alright, so the rest are off-limits. This should be easy, considerin' our chosen two are much bigger than the others an' all." She looks around, noting that the stream is surrounded by a dense thicket, even more so than the one they traversed to get here. "Should we try to take a shot here? Following them into the nearby forests might not be our best option."

"If we screw up the shot, they'll disperse; we haven't discerned their escape routes yet so I'm not entirely confident. Let's maintain observation for now." She nods to him before returning to their watch.

The herd remains for longer than anticipated. The three fawns present in the herd are given the chance to drink more water than the more mature specimens. To the surprise of both hunters, the doe they designated as their dominant switches places with their designated second, and is now on active watch duty while the former watcher tends to the younger trio. ' _Gosh, they're better organized than I thought. One mistake and we'll probably never find 'em again._ ' She looks to Cyrus, whose expression boasts the same surprise as her own. ' _He looks shocked, but maybe he expected this?_ '

' _Well that was unexpected._ ' The herd motions to depart from this area, prompting him and Mozu to follow. ' _Time to move._ ' Sticking to the shadows, the pair keeps a low profile whilst stalking its prey. The two eventually reach a clearing filled with apple trees. Here, the herd stops to consume more food. Cyrus and Mozu quietly scale trees separate from one another. Holding up a hand to catch his partner's attention, Cyrus motions to a small group of apples that are lined up in a relatively neat order. There aren't that many ripe apples on the grass, which would lead the herd to depart sooner than desired. Understanding this, Mozu nocks an arrow and lets her shot loose.

Her shot flies true, knocking down four apples; the arrow flies towards Cyrus, who catches it with his left hand to prevent the arrowhead from causing any stray noises the deer might be familiar with. The apples hit the grass, startling the deer, but as expected, the two adults quickly calm down the fawns. Their feeding resumes shortly after, leaving the dominant doe to return to her watch. Cyrus gestures to Mozu again; with her attention caught, he points to her and then holds up one finger. After a moment, he points to himself and then holds up two fingers. Understanding the plan, Mozu nods and nocks an arrow, taking aim at the dominant doe. Cyrus preps a shot in turn, drawing an arrow filled with blue aether from his quiver. He takes aim at the designated second, waiting for Mozu to take the first shot.

Three slow minutes pass before Mozu lets her arrow fly. Her aim is directed at the heart of the dominant, but it misses shy of the mark, striking a lung instead. The dominant hits the grass with a thud all the same, giving a few convulsions before falling still entirely. Though Cyrus has a clear window to shoot the designated second, as she and the fawns take a moment to process the fall of their leader, he waits for the designated second to lead the fawns' escape. They make for the south; his eyes focus as his aim adjusts to mark slightly ahead of where the second is expected to run. He lets his arrow fly once it becomes clear that the fawns are in the midst of their gallop.

The arrow flies true, piercing the doe's heart. He snaps his fingers, shattering the heart just as it suffers a flash freeze. The doe falls over to a sliding stop, dying in turn. The pair waits for the fawns to disappear into the thicket before descending to the ground. "A well placed shot, Mozu."

She giggles at the praise. "Same to you. Is there a reason why you let the second run away before takin' her down?"

"You know how the adrenaline pumping through the doe's system makes the meat tougher during the harvest?" She nods to him. "Some of the troops prefer it that way." He waves a dismissive hand. "I'm not one of them, but I figured we could try and be accommodating."

"Ah, then we better mark 'em…how are we gonna carry these back?" Cyrus snaps his fingers, using ice magic to create two units similar in design to wagon carts. "Magic sure is convenient." The two doe are placed onto the carrying units, prompting Cyrus to use ice magic to cover the exposed tops. "These won't get freezer burn, right?"

"No worries. The lid is mostly there to prevent foreign material from getting inside." He frowns as his eyes become distant. "Many food suppliers have been framed for murder and had their businesses run asunder by assassins poisoning their exposed products."

Mozu recoils at this. "Yikes! Erdboden sure sounds like a scary place. Who would eve-" Sensing something amiss, she pivots on her heel, readying her bow as she holds out her hand; Cyrus tosses her the arrow he's been holding, allowing her to prep a shot without drawing from her own quiver. "I'm no stranger to your presence; come on out."

The one to emerge is Saizo, one of the two top Ninja of Hoshido, as well as a sworn retainer to Ryoma, its future ruler. Cyrus shades his gaze into a leer as he says, "She was referring to both of you." In turn, a second Ninja emerges from the shadows, revealing herself to be Kagero, one of Hoshido's most elite assassins as well as Ryoma's second retainer. ' _Both of them in one place._ ' Getting a better look at the two, their attire has changed. ' _They have used Master Seals as well; that's problematic._ ' He looks over the two, quickly discerning that their presence is by no means lacking hostility. "I don't suppose we can reach an agreement of mutual ignorance?"

Kagero closes her eyes to consider the notion, though not for long. "While it is true that I owe you a debt for saving my life, the fact also remains that you hold a princess of my kingdom as your captive. Though the dishonor will be severe, I will endure it for Princess Sakura."

Saizo looks to Cyrus, his gaze as harsh and severe as expected of him. "You and I are on even ground, foreign warrior."

Cyrus sighs at the notion. "To be true. You saved me from an ambush during our time in the Den of Low Hit Rates. Saving Kagero and granting you the honorable duel with Kotaro was part of my means of returning the favor." He folds his arms, taking a moment to consider his next selection of words. "Truth be told, the part with Kotaro is irrelevant; I would have let you have that honor regardless."

"Is that right?"

"After hearing your story, the one of your father's murder, I knew the right to slay that man was not my own. You could say that I…know where you're coming from." He waits for Saizo to disclaim this, but to his surprise the man stands patiently. "To have someone you hold in high honor taken from you unjustly; to feel the stinging betrayal of one you swore as your brother – I know both, Saizo. To rob you of your revenge would have been disgraceful."

"…indeed. I suspected as much when I saw your eyes back then, but you know well the creed of the Ninja." He folds his arms in turn. "You aren't among our number, but you carry yourself as if you were. Under different circumstances, you would have been a welcome addition to the Hoshidan Royal Guard." Kagero glances at him, surprised, though careful in not expressing such through her face. Saizo then draws a kunai as he slips into a combat stance. "Of course, those aren't the present circumstances; you serve a traitor, and hold our princess captive – our path is clear."

Kagero slips into a battle stance as well, readying two kunai of her own. "You and your comrades have my gratitude for the past, but I stand with Saizo. You will fall here; though it is little, I can promise that you will not suffer. That is the least I can offer to one with honor."

Cyrus sighs as the grip of his right hand tightens on the bow he holds. "Mozu. Get ready for combat." To give his comrade a moment to prep, he pulls an arrow filled with green aether from his quiver to fire it at the grass at his feet while performing a back-step. Saizo and Kagero fall back to avoid whatever might result from the arrow's contact with the ground; for their trouble, they avoid a localized shockwave charged with electricity. Mozu fires her arrow while the effect of Cyrus' arrow is still present, charging the tip of her own with electricity as it flies towards Kagero.

Taking note of this, Kagero tosses her kunai at the oncoming projectile instead of meeting it head on. Her momentary distraction affords Cyrus the chance to rush Saizo. He holsters his bow in favor of drawing a sword whose blade hosts a series of runes. ' _Saizo's magic resistance is lackluster; with the Behemoth's Mark, I can handle him while Mozu faces Kagero._ ' He baits a swing to gauge Sazio's reaction; his foe jumps back before lunging with a downward strike of the kunai in his grip. Cyrus tosses his sword into the air before stepping to the side to avoid Saizo's strike. Spinning on his heel, he grabs a kunai aimed for his head, courtesy of Kagero, by its handle. This is used to parry Saizo's next flurry of attacks.

Catching his sword with his right hand, Cyrus brings it down upon Saizo, only to miss the mark. Having gotten a better look at the weapon, Saizo recalls its functions. "So that is the Runic Blade." He shores up his own defenses, an act that brings noteworthy disdain to Cyrus' expression. ' _He should know better than to reveal his emotions to a Ninja._ ' He paces backwards, wanting an extra berth of distance. "I watched many skilled Ninja fall to that weapon; it strikes at one's magic resistance." He chuckles. "I assume that left eye of yours has something to do with how well you judge a target's susceptibilities?"

Cyrus chuckles in turn. "And here I was trying to keep my cards a secret."

"Consider getting an eye patch in your next life."

Mozu endeavors to hold Kagero's aggression, incurring the ninja's persistent pursuit. As she draws within striking distance, she finds that Mozu is more agile than her appearance would suggest, for the archer ducks beneath the swing while strafing and prepping a shot in retaliation. She lets the arrow fly, though not to actually hit Kagero. Kagero motions to avoid the attack all the same, granting Mozu the chance to retreat towards the trees. Rather than disappear amongst them, Mozu repeatedly kicks off two close trees to reach the branches. From here, she demonstrates a level of coordination Kagero was not expecting; jumping from branch to branch, Mozu maintains her offensive pressure.

Kagero gives chase to the treetops, leaving Saizo and Cyrus to fight on the ground. With his companion out of the way, Saizo switches from his standard kunai to explosive ones. He gives one a toss at Cyrus to test his opponent's reaction. Cyrus jumps away from the explosion, but to Saizo's surprise, he doesn't use the explosion as a moment to attack. ' _Interesting._ ' He switches to close range combat, charging in with an explosive dagger in hand. ' _Let's see you handle this._ ' Cyrus shifts his body in order to avoid the oncoming strikes, but notably makes no effort to bring his blade in contact with Saizo's. In response, Saizo goads his foe into this very action by advancing further.

Upon making contact with Cyrus' weapon, Saizo releases his grip on the kunai and shields himself with a cloak just before an explosion occurs. A cry of pain can be heard amidst the roar of the explosion; it belongs to Cyrus, who holds his ground as he slides along the grass, maintaining his footing in turn. ' _Those explosives are even stronger now than they were back then!_ ' Seeing that Saizo is prepping another explosive kunai, his mind rushes to think of a counter strategy. Drawing another blue arrow from his quiver, he sheathes his sword in favor of readying his bow once again. ' _I have to judge the strength of those explosions._ ' He performs a back-step while firing his chosen arrow at the grass beneath where he once stood. Making contact with the ground, the arrow conjures a wall of ice that intercepts Saizo's explosion. The wall is not destroyed, though it now sports several cracks and fractures. ' _We can do this._ '

' _Stalling won't save you, Cyrus._ ' He holds his next explosive at the ready instead of destroying the ice wall barring his progress. Anticipating Cyrus' next move, he tosses the kunai to his own blind spot. True to his judgment, Cyrus attempts to make a break by exploiting his unusable eye. Cyrus snaps his fingers to create a trail of ice, allowing him to speed past to avoid the kunai that would have otherwise pierced through his skull. The trail ends at a tree, leading Saizo to initially assume that Cyrus is going to disembark early. This does not come to pass, for Cyrus runs up the trunk of the tree before kicking off of it. Seeing that the man has three blue arrows nocked, Saizo grits his teeth and runs directly ahead to avoid the shots just as they are fired. Knowing where Cyrus has to land, he spins in the air as he jumps to toss another kunai.

Saizo's effort is met with failure, for a torso-height wall of ice is conjured where Cyrus lands, intercepting the kunai. The impact creates a larger steam explosion than before, granting both combatants cover. Using his Runic Eye, Cyrus bypasses his obscured vision to get a read on Mozu's location. At present, she seems to be leading Kagero away from the immediate area. ' _That'll do._ ' He pulls a green arrow from his quiver, knowing full well that Saizo will notice it as it flies. He quickly takes aim and fires before immediately returning to cover. Aiming his right hand at a few branches ahead of Mozu, he snaps his fingers.

Mozu can see a coat of frost cover the branch ahead of her. ' _Cyrus, this is your craziest idea yet._ ' She spins in place, nocking an arrow to present the illusion that she's about to fire on Kagero. "Dodge this!"

"I won't need to." To Kagero, she has reached the optimal range for the rest of her momentum to carry both her and her kunai to Mozu's throat. Her eyes widen in surprise as Mozu uses the back of her legs to catch the oncoming tree branch, allowing her to spin underneath as Kagero passes by her without landing a strike. ' _It won't be that easy!_ ' As she turns herself around, she finds Mozu already in the air and turned to face her; as the realization of the situation dawns upon Kagero, the arrow is loosed, embedding itself in her chest. A pained scream escapes her throat, prompting Saizo to glance at her location.

He catches his ally before she can hit the ground. After judging her wound, he lets out a swift sigh of relief. "This one missed your vitals; it's not fatal." He turns his attention back to Cyrus, only to find that Mozu is now beside him. He clicks his tongue in frustration. Cyrus has nocked a purple arrow, though Saizo knows not what to expect from it. Kagero, despite her pain, pulls a smoke bomb from his cloak and tosses it at the ground.

Using this to his own advantage, Cyrus pivots on his heel and fires the arrow near the blocks of ice holding the catch of the hunt; as the portal forms, a wave of miasma begins to fill the area. Mozu dons one of the specially-made filtration masks before running through the portal. Cyrus waves his hand to use magic to send the blocks into the portal in turn before running in as well. The portal disappears, causing the miasma to dissipate shortly after. When the smokescreen clears, both Saizo and Kagero are long gone, leaving the former battlefield empty.


End file.
